THE THISTLE 

AND 

THE CEDAR OF LEBANON, 



BY 

HABEEB RISK ALLAH EFFENDI, 

M.K.C.S., 

AND ASSOCIATE OF KING'S COLLEGE. 



" And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judali, saying, 
The thistle that was in Lebanon, sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, 
saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife ; and there pas. ' " a 
a wild beast that was in Leb °nd trode down the thits, 

2 Kings, xiv. 9. 




LONDON: 
JAMES MADDEN, 8, LEADENHALL STREET. 
1853. 



LONDON: 

PRINTED BT J. WERTHEIMER. AND CO., 
CIRCUS PLACE, FINSBUBY CIBCCS. 



©A* 



PEEFACE. 



The following pages were written in compliance with 
the solicitations of many esteemed friends, who were 
desirous that I should lay before the public an outline 
of my life and travels, and give to the English nation a 
description of the domestic habits and religious opinions 
of my countrymen in Syria. However incompetent I 
may have proved for the task, I trust that what I have 
written may not be wholly uninteresting ; and, above 
all, it is my earnest hope, that my feeble efforts to arouse 
the generous interest of the English for the welfare and 
improvement of my native land, may not prove without 
use. 

In choosing the title which is prefixed to my humble 
work, I have acted upon the long-established usage of 
my countrymen of speaking parabolically, a practice 
which has existed from the days of Job down to the 
present time. 

Those at all acquainted with the subject will feel the 
difficulties I had to encounter in adapting Oriental 
words to English orthography. After mature delibe- 
ration, I have endeavoured to carry out the system 



11 



PREFACE. 



used by Professor Johnson in his learned Oriental 
and English dictionary, and which, I believe, is the one 
now adopted by all the eminent scholars of Europe. 

I cannot conclude without offering my heartfelt 
thanks to my friend, the Rev. Wm, Frederick Witts, 
Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, for the valuable 
assistance he has rendered me in revising these pages 
for the press. R. A. 



18, Cambridge-square, Hyde Parle, 
May, 1853. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 

Introductory Chapter. 



CHAPTER I. 

Reminiscenses of early Childhood— My Birth-place — Sheikh Fans 
Biridi — Early Tuition — Family Customs — Position of Shuwei-fat, 
and Pastures — Inhabitants— Author quits for Beyrout 1 



CHAPTER IX 

Beyrout — Piratical Attack — Flight to Mountains — Effects of the 
Assault upon the Inhabitants 14 



CHAPTER HI. 

Damascus — Author's First Visit to — Description of the Town — 
The Inhabitants — The Customs and Manners — The Ladies — 
Their Beauty and Freedom — Court-yards and Houses — Bazaars 
— Environs— Soirees — Games — Specimens of Poetry and Songs 
— Wonderful Legend — Refreshments — Entertainment given by 
the British Consul — Privileges of Christians — Padre Tomaso — 
American and British Missions — Population — Antiquity — 
Ravages by Cholera 18 



CHAPTER IV. 

Return to Beyrout — American Mission — Original Difficulties they 
encountered — How overcome — The Estimation of Physicians — 
Anecdote of Mr. Zohrab — American Doctors — Introduction to 
School— Reminiscences of School-days — Anecdote of Sheikh 
Ahmed— List of Missionaries— Adventure of Mr. Bird— The 
Pacha's Revenge — Description of the Rise of the Settlement and 
Trade at Beyrout — Climate, Hints with regard to 39 



11 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER V. 

Visit to Cyprus — Description of Voyage — Arrival at Larnaca — 
Visit to Nicosia and other towns — Cyprus Wines — Languages — 
Departure for Tersous — Arrival at Mersine — Scenery in Cilicia— 
Gardens — Buildings of Tersous — Streets — Climate — Inhabitants 
— Signor Michael Saba — Adana — Its Shops and Streets — Inha- 
bitants— Fanati cism — Revolts — Pacha's Service — The Pass of 
Kulek Bughas — Scenery — Departure for Ayas 



CHAPTER VI. 

Ayas to Scanderoon — Scanderoon to Aleppo — Description of 
Journey — The Aleppines — Their Style and Polish — A Wedding 
described — Syrian Step-mothers — Jewish and Christian quarters 
— Earthquake of 1822 — Pastimes and Garden Parties — Popu- 
lation — Commerce — Departure for Antioch— Gessir il Haded — 
Orontes — Antioch 



CHAPTER VE 

Antioch — Its Beauty and Fruitfulness — Visit to Suedia and Lattakia 
— Signor Mosi Elias — Hardships rendered by Consular Agents — 
Anecdote of English Travellers — Uses and Abuses of the Pro- 
tection System — Fanaticism of Moslem populace — Produce — 
Lattakia to Tripoli — Oranges — Abu Rish — Signor Catsoflis — 
A fair Intercessor for Justice to the Injured — Results of the 
Appeal— Cedars of Lebanon — Baalbec — Anecdote of English 
Forces— Turjaman Bashi — Strange character of Sayid Ali — 
Damascus — Djouni and Sidon — Lady Hester — General Lous- 
taneau — Description of Sidon — Bombardment of St. Jean d Acre 
— Kaipha and Mount Carmel — Mistaken ideas of Love 



CHAPTER VIII. 

First Visit to England — Sail for Malta — Miseries of Sea-sickness — 
Arrival at Malta — The Emir Beschir— Late Bishop of Jeru- 
salem — Steam Frigate Gorgon — Arrival at Portsmouth — Rev. 
Baptist Noel — London — Souvenir of Wimbledon — A Duel pre- 
vented — Anecdote of Druse Sheikh — Return to Syria — Sir George 
Otway — Arrival at Beyrout — War between Druses and Maro- 



CONTEXTS. 



Ill 



nitea— Stamboul— Emir Kasim. His History— Lord Cowley— 
Dr. Bennett — Mr. Goodall — Eeturn to England — Malta — 
Marseilles— Adventure with French Officer— M. G-uizot— Sulirnan 
Pacha— M. Thiers— Delicate Mission— And val in England— 
Prinee Callimaki — Mr. Zohrab — Mr. B. Phillips— King's 
College. London— Medical Profession — Lectures — Frightful 
Accident — Long ILlness — Admission as Member of King's 
College — The Mir Shahamet Ali and Sir C. Wade— Visit to 
Manufacturing Districts — Lamartine 



CHAPTER IX. 

Visit to Paris— First Impressions— Boulevards— Champs Elysees— 
Description of a L . f._ raise — Domestic Habits of the 
French — Englisn and French Friendship — Departure for Con- 



C HAP TEE X. 

Impressions of England — Letters to a Friend in the East — Voyage 
to England — Landing — Custom-house — Crowde I Thoroughfares 
—English Activity — Hotel — Servants — Drive — Motley Groups — 
Square; — Park— Houris— Heartaches — Dinner — English Splen- 
dour, but Syrian Ease and a Chibouk preferred — English 
Acquaintances — Society — Young Ladies — Their Freedom — 
Matrons — Their Acquirements — Etiquette — Dress — Widows — 
Gentlemen — English Sabbath — Public Schools and Colleges — 
The Queen — M ; ssionary and Charitable Institutions — Great 
Wealth of the English— The Merchants— The Fashionable 
World — The Opera — Expensive Pleasure — Insatiable Craving 
tor Riches — Desire for an English Home — Marriages — Children 
— Schooling — Absence of Beverence for Beards — Devotion of 
the Young Fair Sex to their Forms — Kin dm ss to Strangers — 
Interest in the Holy Land — Hospitality— Private Worth and 
Public Scheming 1 6 1 



CHAPTEB XL 

Reminiscences of Stamboul — Entertainments — Songs — Tl 

and the Sultan— The Sultan's Condescension — Marriage of the 
Daughter of Prince Vogiredis— Turkish Xavy— Present Crisis— 

A renegade Girl 17 3 

b 



iv 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XII. 

Egypt — Abbas Pacha and his Improvements— The British Consul- 
General— Mr. Abet — Mr. Larking — Boghs Bey — Antiquities- 
Climate — Library — Advantages enjoyed by European Residents 
— Festivities— Fulfilment of Prophecy— Late Gift of Horses 
presented by Nubar Bey to her Majesty — The Hon. G. Massey — 
Impressions made on the Grooms 190 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Life, Manners, and Customs of Syria — From the Cradle to the 
Tomb 203 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Syria and her Inhabitants — Description of the Southern parts of 
Palestine — The Misery of its Inhabitants — Their Disposition and 
Labours — Sea-coast Population — Their Habits — Scriptural 
Analogy — Sidon, Lebanon, Tripoli, Lattakia and Antioch — 
The Children of those Parts — Appeal to the British on behalf of 
Syria — Real State of the Turkish Empire — Safety of English 
Investments — The Turkish Dominions — How to purchase Pro- 
perty — English Emigrants would be welcomed in Syria — Mr. 
John Barker — Col. Churchill — Lady Hester Stanhope — 
Fruits — Cultivation of the Soil— Advantages for the English 
Emigrant and Amelioration for Syria— Major Macdonald — His 
Discovery of Turquoises and Presentation of some to the Queen — 
Advice to Emigrants— All Particulars and Expenses of Voyage 
explained, Outlay, Working, Expenditure and Profits derivable 
- -Climate recommended for Health 224 



CHAPTER XV. 

Syria, her Inhabitants and their Religion— Religious Teaching in 
Syria— American Missionaries— Their Zeal— Greek or Ortho- 
dox Eastern Church— Interview and Conversation with the 
Patriarch and Bishops at Constantinople— Letter from Syria— 
The Conversion of the Son of a Mufti to Christianity— Lord 
Shaftesbury and the Protestant College at Malta— Mahommedan 
Power and the Christian Churches in Syria— Claims of the 
Orthodox Eastern Church and its Affinity to the Protestant 



CONTENTS. 



V 



Churches of England— The Four Patriarchs— Education of the 
Syrian Priesthood— The Service of the Orthodox Eastern 
Church— Dissenters from it— Account of Karolus their Patriarch 
Dispute ahout the Head dress and reference to Constanti- 
nople—Decision—Jealousies of the Christian Sects— Political 
Animosities 



CHAPTER XVI. 

The Maronites— Their Political Position— Anecdote connected 
with the Year 1821— Their Customs, Manners, and Religion — 
The Number of Roman Catholics in Syria— The Copts— The 
Nestorians s • • • • 264 



CHAPTER XVII. 

The Population of Syria continued — The Metoulis or Heterodox 
Followers of Mahomed — The Druses — The Nosairiyehs — The 
Yezidees 282 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Appearance and Costume of the People — The Aleppine Greeks — 
The Dyers — The Armenian — The Yahoodee or Israelite — The 
Turkish Effendi-The Bedouin— The Fellaheen 301 



CHAPTER XIX. 

The Occupations of the People — Lebanon in April — The Mulberry 
Plantations — Anecdote— The Silkworms — The Wheat Harvest 
— Borghol — The Vintage— The Olive Winter — The Resources of 
Syria — The small Capitalist in Syria 315 



CHAPTER XX. 

The Comparative Influences of the Roman Catholic and Protestant 
Faiths in Syria — The Roman Catholics — Their Convents — Greek 
and Armenian Monasteries — The Knowledge and Practice of 
Medicine — The Influence of the Hakim — Anecdote — Conversions 
—The Sisters of Charity 333 



VI 



CONTENTS. 



Pagb. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



The Remedy — The Early Apostles — Physicians — Missionaries — 
Introduction of the Silkworm from China-- Incorporation of the 
Medical with the Clerical Profession — Proposed Society to be 
formed in England — Hospital -School-rooms — Dispensary — 
Purchase of Land — Its Cultivation— System of Education- 
Letter of Dr. Thomson— Mr. Cuthbert Young's " Notes of a 
Wayfarer" 346 



Visit to Devonshire, Bath, and Cheltenham —Conclusion — Visit to 
Lady Rolle — Description of Bicton — Travelling by an Express 
Train — A Coachman's Remarks — The Park — Arrival and Recep- 
tion — Description of my Life — My Portrait taken — Amusements 



Church — English Young Ladies — Cottage Visiting — Buildings 
erected by Lady Rolle at Bicton — Amusing Anecdote of an 
Eastern Princess — Drive to Exeter -Equipage — Cathedral — 
Erescos — Gaol — Child in Prison there — Eemale Department- 
Villagers" Opinions of me — Bath — Beauties of Country reminded 
me of Syria — Springs — Arrival — Sir Claude Wade — Tour of the 
City — Society — Diversity of Religious Opinions — Service — 
Soiree — Agreeable Rencontre — Second Visit to Bath — Bachelor's 
Ball — Lady Mayoress's Ball at the Guildhall — Recognition as a 
Eree-mason — Invitation to " The Lodge of Honour " to meet the 
Mayor — Meeting with Dr. Thompson — Lecture — Quoted from 
the Paper — Visit to Cheltenham— Rev. J. Brown — Rev. C. H. 
Bromley — Meeting— My Address— Appeal to send over for, and 
educate young Syrians at the Normal College at Cheltenham — 
Case, of a young Syrian Lad — Lord Northwick — His Collection 
of Paintings — Conclusion— Reasons for appearing before the 
Public as an Author . 357 



CHAPTER XXII. 



— Conversation with Mrs. P 



of Exeter about the Greek 



APPENDIX. 



Note on the Geology of Syria by Professor Forbes 



377 




pages, containing a brief sketch of my life and travels, 
together with a description of the customs and present 
condition of my native land, I am actuated solely by 
motives which, I trust, a careful perusal of this work 
will prove to be disinterested. 



All nations are more or less patriotic ; none more so 
than the inhabitants of the British isles. With them 
the inducements to this love of home are all-sufficient, 
for their religion is the purest, their government and 
laws the best in the world, and they are second to no 
people in the enjoyment of privileges and blessings, 
such as could be only enjoyed by a "peculiar people," 
under the immediate protection of the Almighty Bene- 
factor. Next to them we may rank, as promoters of 
freedom and enlightenment, the citizens of the United 
States, those other scions of a noble stock. 

Yet so peculiar is that innate love of man for the 
particular country and people with which are associated 
the early years of his childhood, that even the son of 



9 



THE THISTLE AND 



utter darkness, born and bred a savage, inured to 
every hardship and privation, who boasts of no city, 
scarcely professes a religion, whose home is the desert 
waste, his bed the warm sands of Arabia, even he, the 
wild Bedouin, in his untutored heart, sets boundless 
store by the place and people to which early attachment 
has riveted his affections. Separate him from these 
and from his beloved mare, and no riches or pleasures 
could compensate him for the loss. This is also appli- 
cable to the humble and oftentimes oppressed natives 
who dwell in the towns and villages of Syria, Lebanon, 
and Palestine. Though for centuries they have been 
subjected to the heavy yoke of bondage, and of late 
years, like the Israelites of old, were bondsmen to 
Egypt ; however much they may have deplored their 
hard fate, none have ever dreamt of quitting the dear 
land of their forefathers — tnose ancestors who were 
coeval with the patriarchs. Some till the ground where 
Abraham once tended his flocks ; others cut timber 
where the men of Hiram and Solomon once hewed 
cedars for the temple at Jerusalem ; but the boast and 
glory of all these is, that they dwell in the land where 
the Promise was fulfilled. One may be by birth a 
Nazarene, another a townsman of Cana. A day or 
two's journey, at the furthest a week or ten days, 
enables him to reach that very Bethlehem where the 
blessed Redeemer was born, to track His holy footsteps 
in His pilgrimage of mercy from place to place, to weep 
and bemoan Him on the site of the last closing scenes 
of His holy life, and to raise up their hearts with grate- 
ful thanksgivings for the great salvation wrought out 
for their souls by His glorious resurrection. 

Apart from these cherished associations of the spi- 
ritual with the temporal world, the native of the Holy 



THE CEDAR OE LEBANON. 



3 



Land is fondly attached to his country, because its 
climate is congenial to his manners, its soil productive, 
its inhabitants hospitable, its waters the purest, air the 
freshest, sun the brightest, fruits the most delicious, 
and flowers the sweetest and most wildly profuse. All 
these sifts in the greatest luxuriance are to be found 
within the Lebanon range — that Lebanon of which the 
inspired bard, the wisest of men and the best of kings, 
sings in his beautiful metaphor on Christian love.* 
"Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates with 
pleasant fruits .... A fountain of gardens, a well of 
living waters, and streams from Lebanon. 93 

With such a past to dwell on, it is not surprising 
that the poor, neglected peasant of Syria may still 
proudly vaunt himself of his birthright and country. 
I, too, hope, kind reader, for your sympathy 
in my sharing this national characteristic, and for 
endeavouring, as far as in me lies, to promote the 
welfare, both temporal and eternal, of my fellow country- 
men and native land. The former, alas ! are gradually 
sinking deeper and deeper into the meshes of super- 
stition and idolatry : the latter groans trader a 
heavy yoke, rendered still less supportable by the 
grossest ignorance. The indefatigable propagators of 
the Eomish faith are awakening the people from their 
pristine simplicity, only, I fear, to plunge them into a 
more fearful vortex of errors. 

I rush to the rescue ; for God has blessed me far 
above my coimtrymen, by shedding the true light of 
the Gospel around my pathway, through the instru- 
mentality of good and holy men, whom He has chosen 
for His especial service, and who have bestowed on me 



* Canticles., iv. 13—1-3. 



4 



THE THISTLE AND 



the priceless boon of a Christian education. I am 
willing and anxious to devote every hour of my life, 
and all my poor means, to the furtherance of His cause. 
Yet, though much may combine in my favour, I am 
inadequate to the accomplishment of the good I desire 
for my country, without the aid, wise counsel, and 
support of the Christian inhabitants of Great Britain. 

Christian reader ! in the following pages I have 
endeavoured to depict as clearly as I can the evil and 
the remedy. I have glanced over the leading features 
of my life, to show how circumstances, trivial in them- 
selves, appear to have combined in my favour, that I 
should be an humble instrument in the hands of my 
Maker, to work out a brighter and better hope for dear 
Syria. 

That "pearl of great price," pure Christianity, has 
been cherished and nurtured within these isles till the 
true faith has reared itself up like a mighty mirror, 
reflecting the glorious light of the blessed truths of the 
Gospel far and wide. May one beam of charity, reflected 
from thence, alight upon the mother church of Syria — 
that church now sunk in misery and degradation, but 
from which (remember, O Christian of Great Britain) 
was derived the glorious knowledge of an eternal 
salvation. 

<e The Thistle that is in Lebanon " is the harassed, 
weak, yet simple disciple of the Eastern Church ; and 
" the Cedar that was in Lebanon" is the true Church 
of Christ, whose seeds were first derived from those 
Holy shores, and are now firmly rooted in England. 
The Thistle has sent to ask thy daughter, Enlightenment, 
in marriage to her son, Simplicity. O refuse her not ! 
lest the wild beast in Lebanon should tread down 
the Thistle and obtain the ascendancy. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



5 



CHAPTER I. 



SCENES OF EARLY CHILDHOOD. 



My earliest recollections are associated with the lovely 
and rural village of Shuwei-fat, my birth-place,, on 
the Lebanon; and where, if not the happiest, certainly 
the most innocent years of my childhood were passed. 
My father had no fixed residence at that place, but 
he, with the rest of his family, usually resorted there 
to spend the summer months and part of the autumn 
and spring. In winter the cold became intense, owing 
to the elevated position of the village; consequently 
most of its inhabitants and summer visitors, including 
amongst these latter my own family, invariably wintered 
at Beyrout. My uncle, Sheikh Faris Biridi, filled the 
important and respected post of katib, or secretary 
to the Emir Beshir Shahab, the prince of Lebanon, 
who resided at the village of Dayr-al Kamar, situated 
a few hours' journey from Shuwei-fat. At least three 
times a week my uncle's duties compelled him to visit the 
Emir. Sheikh Faris was universally respected amongst 
the villagers; and the best proof of this is the fact 
of his being Sheikh, or Chief Man of his village ; his 
house was the best — his grounds the most extensive, 
and he himself in reality, an intelligent and well- 
informed man. For a Syrian, he was deeply read and 



e 



THE THISTLE AND 



well skilled in the use of his pen ; but above all, he was 
an earnest and devout Christian, a kind father and a good 
friend — virtues which gained for him the esteem and 
love of all the neighbouring villagers, as well Moslems 
and Druses as the Christians. 

Under the favourable auspices of this kind man's 
tuition, I first learnt to' read and write my native 
tongue ; and, as I was afterwards informed, even at that 
early age, gave cheering proofs of an active mind, and 
evinced an aptitude and love for the acquirement 
of knowledge, although then barely four years of age. 
I could not possibly have had a better guide, both as 
regards precept and example. So long as I remained 
under his hospitable roof, his great and chief care was 
to richly stock my young mind with doctrines well 
adapted to promote the welfare of the soul in after 
years on all important business. His household arrange- 
ments were an example for others. He was an early 
riser himself, and insisted on all his household following 
this healthful custom : his maxim was that sleep was 
for the dark hours of the night — work aDd recreation for 
the light — prayers and thanksgivings for all seasons. 

My uncle was accustomed when at home to repair 
every morning, during the spring and summer seasons, to 
the top of a neighbouring hill, which commanded a view 
over an extensive range of country. On these occasions, it 
was my wont to accompany him. A servant preceded us 
carrying a small carpet and a cushion or two ; I carried 
my uncle's pipe and tobacco-pouch in one baud; in the 
other, the Kitab Mukaddas, or Arabic Bible, printed 
in England by the Church Missionary Society. As 
soon as my uncle had seated himself, and assumed his 
pipe, he would make me sit at his feet and read out to 
him from the good Book, illustrating and commenting 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



7 



as opportunity occurred. The hundred and fourth Psalm, 
than which none could he better suited to the time and 
place, was usually his favourite. 

From our elevated position, we could command a 
view, not only of our own dearly cherished and beau- 
tiful hamlet, but also of many of the surrounding 
villages. At our feet lay Shuwei-fat, with its neat 
little cottages and cleanly swept court-yards, surrounded 
by a dense little forest of .mulberries, oranges, lemons, 
apricots, olives, countless vines, and many other fruits; 
the dark leaves of an occasional poplar lending variety 
to the beauty and shading of the foliage. Not a man, 
woman or child, moved to and fro in the narrow little 
streets, but their names and occupations were well 
known to us. The dogs wagged their tails in happy 
recognition of my shrill sharp whistle, and a thousand 
echoes caught up the signal. The verdant hills and 
valleys that surrounded us were thickly dotted with 
cattle and sheep contentedly browsing upon the rich pas- 
turage. Peeping over the densely wooded plantations, 
the tops of the little white-washed houses pointed out 
the locality of some well-known village. Clear streams 
of water sparkling in the glowing sunlight, often 
intersected the plains and valleys, or rushed headlong 
down the steep sides of some deep dell, abounding with 
wild flowers and myrtle bushes. Far below, were the 
distant fields in square patches of variegated hues, green 
bespangled with blue and crimson flowers j sometimes 
covered, like a sheet of pure gold, with countless butter- 
cups, and sometimes hi uncultivated patches of sombre 
brown j but what I most dearly loved to gaze at 
was the broad blue sea in the distance, looking so 
pleasantly cool and calm, with here and there a patch 
of deeper blue, where the breeze sportively ruffled the 



8 



THE THISTLE AND 



waves. I always thought of Nabiy Tunas* and the- 
great fish, and wondered if many such fish were yet taking 
their pastime in the deep. How little I imagined at 
that time that I was destined to traverse those mighty 
waters, and to suffer myself to be borne away on their 
waves hundreds of miles from shore, exposed to raging 
tempests in a fragile bark ! Such a notion would then 
have been scouted by all my friends ; and I myself 
should have been foremost in deriding the idea, and in 
opposing, that which has since proved conducive to my 
best interest s, temporal, and I trust eternal; but I was 
then a child, and understood and acted as a child. 

From this pleasant spot, my uncle gazed with rapture 
upon the surrounding scenery, as the first rays of the 
sun peered above the snow-capped peaks of lofty 
Lebanon, and spread a golden mantle over the vast 
panorama; from my childhood, I have known how to 
appreciate the beauties of nature in all their poetry; 
and I admire them still, but with a milder and more 
subdued admiration. 

" He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run 
among the hills." This was a portion of a morning's 
reading lesson ; the force and beauty of the verse were 
illustrated by everything around me. My worthy pre- 
ceptor would impress this fact upon my mind. The 
men, the cattle, the trees, shrubs, flowers, birds, butter- 
flies, even the most insignificant insect that crawls upon 
the earth — all these are preserved, he argued, by the 
bounty and beneficence of the Creator — without this 
water how would nature subsist ? In short, the whole of 
that delightful Psalm seemed as though expressly com- 
posed to illustrate the country around us, especially 

* The supposed tomb of the prophet Jonah is distinctly visible from 
this spot. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



9 



that passage which, says, "The Cedars of Lebanon, 
which he hath planted; where the birds make their 
nests." 

Thus profitably and pleasantly the early hours of the 
day would be consumed. I was then dismissed with 
sage advice to remember throughout the day what I 
had read and heard— and my uncle being called away 
by his numerous avocations, I was left to amuse myself 
with my play-mates in the village until the hour of 
noon summoned us to our substantial mid- day meal. 
Like most boys, we were prone to mischief. I remember 
a favorite game amongst the village lads, which occa- 
sionally terminated in a squabble, and was known by the 
name of Al Cadi or The Judge. The Cadi was chosen 
by lot, as were the officers of his court, and the imagi- 
nary plaintiffs and defendants. Squatted on the ground 
under the pleasant shade of some mulberry-tree, we 
then held a court. Sentence was recorded and executed; 
and sometimes the boy who personated the imaginary 
criminal was sentenced to be bastinadoed. On these 
occasions the executioners laid about them so smartly 
with the light switches of the mulberry and olive, that 
though the boy's shoes were never removed the lash 
penetrated to the sole of the foot, and then the pre- 
tended culprit, smarting from pain, would lose all com- 
mand over his temper; a melee would ensue, which 
outraged the dignity of the court, and usually termi- 
nated by all the members, the Cadi included, being 
summarily whipped for their naughtiness. 

"When the hour of mid-day was announced by the strik- 
ing of gongs, which in Syria are usually substituted for 
bells at the churches, all our family assembled for futar, 
and my uncle would enter, followed by the peasants 
employed about his plantations, together with his other 
b 5 



LO 



THE THISTLE AND 



servants. This was the signal for the cook and her 
assistant to carry into the centre of the yard a large 
iron cauldron containing the ruzz-mufaljal, or what- 
ever was prepared for the day for the supply of the 
whole household. Clean shining platters were ranged 
in piles round this cauldron, and a blessing having 
been first asked, the food was ladled out — a goodly 
portion for each — enough and no waste. The only dis- 
tinguishing mark at this family meal was, that the 
members of my uncle's family were all seated round a 
low circular table, and reclined upon carpets and against 
cushions. The others sat where their fancy dictated; but 
they chiefly crowded under that side of the court-yard 
wall which afforded a shade from the heat of the sun. 
In addition to the contents of the cauldron, there was 
generally a dish of stewed meat and vegetables; or, (if 
the season was Lent,) of the egg- vegetable, or batinjan, 
sliced and fried in oil — with as many cucumbers, pickles, 
lettuces, radishes, young onions, and chillies, as any one 
wished and asked for. During the repast, one of the 
servants usually stood at the door to watch for any poor 
wayfarers who might pass, to ask them to partake of 
our hospitality. When all had finished, the fragments 
were divided into equal portions amongst the cats and 
dogs of the establishment ; and what was left by them 
was given to the fowls and sparrows. Our evening 
meal differed but little from that of the morning, except 
on days when the national dish of Kubba * superseded 
everything else. Then we had Kubbas in soup made 

* This favorite dish is something similar to forced-meat 
balls, being made of dried boiled wheat, finely-chopped suet and 
meat, pepper, salt, and red chillies. The whole is mashed into a 
paste, then squeezed by the hand into a globular shape, and 
afterwards either boiled or baked. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



11 



of laban or curdled milk, and Kubbas fried, and Kubbas 
baked; for the Syrian can never tire of eating of this 
delicious dish. The interval between mid-clay and the 
evening was occupied variously — but first came the indis- 
pensable siesta, indulged in by men, women, and chil- 
dren. The men would then return to their respective 
labours, while the women occupied themselves in house- 
hold matters, and most of the children were sent to the 
village school; but for myself my afternoons were occu- 
pied with our family spiritual adviser, an excellent old 
man who came daily and instructed me at home, from 
the hours of two to four p.m. After supper, my uncle 
would sit in state and receive the visits of the neigh- 
bours who usually dropped in for an hour or two every 
evening. They sat and smoked, and talked about agri- 
cultural matters or village affairs; and sometimes one of 
the party would tell an amusing story, and another 
would sing a song — sweetmeats, coffee, and other refresh- 
ments being from time to time handed round — and thus 
the evenings would be spent in pleasant harmless enjoy- 
ment. This, with very little variety, is a faithful picture 
of what was our every- day life at Shuwei-fat : and so 
passed the years of my infancy. 

I have omitted to make any personal allusion to the 
various members of my family. I hope, however, that 
I shall be pardoned in making a slight reference to my 
uncle's lovely daughters, nine in number ; these fair 
cousins of mine outrivalled each other in beauty and 
amiable qualities, and each had a trait of beauty peculiar 
to herself. In Syria, it is the custom to distinguish the 
various members of a family by a soubriquet, which has 
reference to some perfection or failing. Thus our groom, 
Yusuf, who limped a little, was called Topal or the 
lame ; and one of my cousins, Al Shams, or the sun, 



12 



THE THISTLE AXD 



owing to her very bright eyes ; whilst another, who had 
mild blue eyes, was designated "Al Kamar" or the 
moon. Al Kamar was so noted for her beauty and 
sweet disposition, that two of the princes of Lebanon 
sought her hand in marriage — and this, though they had 
never seen her; but Al Kama?" was not ambitious of 
honors and riches. The creed of the princes also differed 
widely from her own ; so she refused them both. All 
these nine daughters are now married and settled in life; 
so I take leave of them with a fervent prayer that the 
Almighty may graciously watch over them, and crown 
their end with eternal happiness. 

Shuwei-fat, like most of the surrounding villages, 
produces a large quantity of silk; but it is in particular 
celebrated for the excellence of its wine, its olives, and 
olive-oil. Of the first, I can amrm, that I have, in 
after-years, heard good judges of wine, when quoting its 
excellence, refer to it as verifying the words of Hosea 
(xiv. 7), "The scent thereof shall be as the wine 
of Lebanon." It is certainly very odoriferous. The 
olives and olive-oil are not to be surpassed in all 
Syria. 

The inhabitants, both men and women, are a fine, 
healthy people and the males are particularly athletic. 
To describe them well, I cannot use better or more 
appropriate language than that of the prophet Ezekiel 
(xxxi. 3) — "Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon 
with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of 
a high stature." 

Yet with all these combined advantages, of health, a 
delicious climate, and a fertile soil, many of the poor 
peasants are oppressed and miserable. This arises from 
the iniquitous system of extortion practised on them by 
land-owners and subordinate officers. It must, however, 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON", 



13 



be confessed, that the mountaineers are, to a certain 
extent, more independent than the inhabitants of the 
plains, who are ridden over ronghshod by the petty 
and tyrannical nnder-strappers in office. 

I had barely attained my tenth year, when, much to 
my grief, I was removed from the family of my kind 
uncle, and taken to Beyrouth there permanently to 
reside: but, alas for short-sighted mortals, an event 
was even then brewing, which burst like a tempest, 
over the Beyrou tines, and which materially affected my 
father's plans and wishes with regard to my future 
career in life, 



14 



THE THISTLE AND 



CHAPTER II. 

PIRATICAL ATTACK ON BEYROUT. 

Months rolled on. Merchants were at that period 
carrying on a comparatively thriving trade at Beyrout. 
The novelty of the scene that presented itself on my 
first arrival there had gradually worn off. In my 
leisure hours I rambled along the sandy beach, gather- 
ing shells, and wading ankle deep into the surf, at 
first with ill-suppressed fear and trembling; but the 
example of other boys emboldening me to venture into 
the water, I finished by becoming quite an adept in 
the art of swimming. Then the ships were a source of 
wonder and surprise, as they sailed in and out of the 
harbour, like gigantic swans floating over the waves. 
These also had ceased to excite interest, for I had been 
on board, handled the tarry ropes, walked the deck, 
and suffered inconvenience from the disagreeable 
motion, so that these also had ceased to be a marvel. 
Thus time rolled on, and I had well nigh forgotten all 
my regrets at leaving Lebanon and the hospitable abode 
of my uncle, when the unexpected event alluded to in 
the foregoing chapter, transpired. 

It was on Palm Sunday, in, I think, the year 1827. 
The harbour had been deserted for some few days ; there 
was not even an Arab boat at the anchorage : and on 
the eventful evening I am now describing, the eye 
might have vainly swept the horizon seeking for indi- 
cations of an approaching sail. This, however, was no 



THE CEDAR OE LEBANON. 



15 



uncommon event in those days, when the commerce 
of Beyrout was yet in its infancy. None imagined, on 
retiring to rest that night, that impending danger was 
so close at hand. Midnight had, however, scarcely 
chimed, and the last occupant of the latest open coffee- 
house crept home to his hovel, when a tumult arose, 
and the night air was filled with shrieks and lament- 
ations, mingled with the startling reports of fire-arms, 
there was a rush in the streets of many people running 
for their lives; and all the inmates of my father's 
household being now thoroughly awakened, ran out 
also, and joined the flying multitude. The Bab 
Yacoob, leading to Damascus and Lebanon, was open 
and unguarded. We fled with the concourse towards 
the mountains, favored in our retreat by the obscurity 
of the night; nor did any think of stopping to breathe 
or repose till they had gained the summit of one of 
the neighbouring hills. Here, finding no signs of pursuit, 
and the clamour and report of fire-arms having died 
away in the distance, the frightened populace halted 
anxiously to await the first dawn of day which was 
to enable them to secure their retreat to the neighbour- 
ing villages. All were totally ignorant as to the cause 
of the sudden panic, but many laboured under the 
absurd notion that the place had been attacked by 
Russian troops. None, however, stopped to be better 
informed on the subject; but, renewing their flight 
with the first light of morning, each betook himself 
and family to that village with which he was best 
acquainted; and for the next few weeks the Lebanon 
district was inundated with the scared refugees from 
Beyrout. 

As for ourselves, we directed our steps to Shuwei-fat, 



16 



THE THISTLE AND 



and accomplished the journey as best we could; 
arriving there weary and lialf-famished, to the utter 
astonishment and dismay of my uncle's household, 
who were at first quite at a loss to account for our 
sudden appearance in so pitiable a condition. Soon 
after our arrival, official intelligence reached the moun- 
tains of what had transpired. A ruffianly horde of 
piratical Greeks, allured by the hopes of meeting with 
rich booty, had made this sudden descent upon the 
peaceful and unsuspecting inhabitants. They had 
entered the town without resistance, and once in pos- 
session of the Quai, had unhesitatingly commenced 
the work of despoliation. Whole warehouses were 
stripped — money and rich jewellery carried off — murder 
and every atrocious crime, the offspring of villany, 
had been perpetrated. To secure the gold coins and 
jewellery worn by the women on their heads, wrists, and 
ankles, the wretches never hesitated to make use of the 
knife ; and earrings were wrenched forcibly from the 
ears of the hapless victims. When the pirates were 
satiated with plunder, they broke and destroyed what 
was left j and then, setting fire to different parts of the 
town, they betook themselves with their booty to 
their boats, and thus disappeared. Luckily for house- 
owners most of the buildings were constructed of solid 
masonry, with domes and vaulted roofs, so that the 
fire, even where it had ignited, speedily exhausted 
its impotent rage. The Moslem rabble, disguised as 
Greeks, also joined in the general foray. 

By this calamity all the residents at Beyrout suffered 
more or less. Many were utterly ruined ; and my poor 
father's losses were so severe that he at first wholly 
relinquished the idea of ever returning to that place. 



THE CEDAR OE LEBANON. 



17 



For many months afterwards we resided at Shuwei-fat ; 
but here also an outbreak amongst the mountaineers 
disturbed us again, and we were compelled to retrace 
our steps to Beyrouth which place, from that day for- 
ward, became my home. 

With regard to the Greeks, they escaped scot-free 
and were neither detected nor punished, 



18 



THE THISTLE AND 



CHAPTER III. 

DESCRIPTION OE DAMASCUS. 

It now became necessary that I should seek out and 
steadfastly follow up some fixed profession or calling 
in life. There was more than one motive that urged 
this measure upon me as a necessity : in the first place, 
my father's resources had been sadly crippled by the 
piratical affair ; besides, I was of an age when youths 
in Syria earn their own livelihood, and my education 
was sufficiently advanced to enable me to enter upon 
the duties of life. I could read and write my own 
language, and this was all that was expected, and 
much more than many youths of my age could boast. 
I had no thought then of acquiring a knowledge of 
foreign languages. To escape from the thraldom of school 
is always a source of great delight to schoolboys. 

As far as my own views went, I was bent upon going 
to Damascus; and though my dear parents opposed 
this wish at first, I gradually coaxed them into a con- 
senting mood ; and perhaps the greatest inducement for 
them to yield to my wishes, was the fact of our having 
a wealthy and influential relative, then residing at 
Damascus, who had been a iellow-katib of my uncle's, 
and who occupied a high post in the service of the 
Pasha. 

To this worthy man's care I was confided ; so, taking 
leave of my dear parents and accompanied by their 
blessing, I left Beyrout, and proceeded to Damascus ; 
where, shortly after my arrival, I was fortunate enough, 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



19 



through the influence of this relative, to procure a 
lucrative and rising situation in the Turkish service. 
At this place I remained a considerable time, delighted 
with the climate and beauty of the place, as also well 
pleased with my office and with my associates. 

No pen can give an adequate idea of the delights of 
Damascus. The nearest approach I can hope to make 
to a truthful description, will be simply to depict what 
I saw and experienced ; and this perhaps will give the 
stranger a better conception of the place than the flowery 
rhapsodies of many of those writers, whose experience, 
resulting from a visit of a few weeks, has been skilfully 
converted into some dozen chapters of post octavo. 

Damascus, like most Eastern towns, has nothing to 
boast of in the outside appearance of its rough unwhite- 
washed houses. Its streets are narrow, dark and 
intricate — crowds of people — caravans of camels — mules 
— and troops of donkeys — are all perpetually on the move, 
though not with that rapidity of locomotion so striking 
to a foreigner on his first visit to London. 

The stranger is struck dumb with amazement and 
disappointment. He has heard so much and he sees so 
little, that his first exclamation is sure to be, " Can this 
really be Sliam-al Sharif ? — the much praised Damascus ; 
— the so-styled paradise of the East [" Yes, stranger, this 
is the justly celebrated Damascus ; but the secret cause 
of your amazement lies hid as the kernel in the shell of a 
nut, the outer surface of which is the walls of the houses, 
while within lies concealed the sweet kernel. Open the 
street-door of rough and unpolished wood; and after 
carefully closing the same, as if by magic, the whole 
train of your thoughts and your discontentment will be 
diverted into another channel, and you will be struck 
with surprise and admiration, as the hidden beauties of 



20 



THE THISTLE AND 



the city will then burst upon your view. The same 
may be said with regard to the ladies of Damascus, 
notoriously the handsomest women in the East — ■ 
Houris, whose bright eyes have afforded an endless 
theme for the poet's song ! Forms carefully enveloped 
in white and coloured izars— features muffled up and 
completely disguised by hideous black veils ! That 
man must needs be a magician who could identify 
even his own wife or sister from amidst the herd of 
ghostly figures continually flitting to and fro in the 
streets; though now and then some Eastern akruti 
(coquette), may even here be found slily contriving to 
allow the light of her sparkling eyes to beam through 
this dark screen. Here also is the same mystery, and 
the beauty lies concealed within the outer shell. 

Now standing in a spacious quadrangle, exquisitely 
paved with marble, we take a hasty survey of all around 
us. In the centre is a square basin of clear crystal-like 
water, in which gold and silver fish are playfully 
swimming about; and in the middle of this birkat a 
fountain continually throws its sportive jets to return 
in showers of pearls upon the many pretty little flowers 
that are planted round the borders. An arcade sup- 
ported by elegant columns, runs round three sides ; 
and the fourth side of the quadrangle is occupied by 
the lower apartments of the house. The coma (or 
cornices), are all ornamented with Arabic inscriptions, 
both in poetry and prose, being invariably Scripture 
texts.* In little fistakiares, or parterres walled in with 
marble slabs, a few choice orange and lemon trees are 
carefully cultivated ; and it is difficult to say whether 
the sweet odour of their blossoms is not rivalled, or 

* In the houses of Mahomedans the texts are from the Koran. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



21 



even surpassed, by the delicious fragrance of the roses 
and rich Baghdad fid (or dwarf jessamine), which so 
thickly cluster about then roots. Of the interior of 
such a house no one could have given a better idea 
than did His Excellency Mahomed Pasha, the late 
ambassador to the court of St. James's, who happening, 
during his residence in London, to give a ball, fitted 
up some of the apartments so as to exactly represent 
the interior of a Damascus house. These rooms were 
the leading topic of chit chat among the fashionables of 
London for many weeks afterwards, 

I must crave the reader's permission to conduct 
him into one of these houses; and in so doing to in- 
troduce him to the mistaba or alcove in the centre, 
from the back of which two trellised windows overlook 
a spacious fruit garden. A low divan runs round 
its three sides, while a soft carpet covers the marble 
floor. The cushions, and even the divan itself, are 
of the richest velvet stuffs ; and the numerous etageres 
in the mistaba are filled with costly glass-ware, crystal 
cups, and elegant porcelain vases. On each side 
is a tray, covered with a snowy napkin, the edges 
worked with gold and silver flowers, upon one are 
handsome finjans in filigree, silver coffee-cups, and 
sugar-basins; on the other, cut-glass saucers full of 
delicious candied sweetmeats, of which the orange- 
flower, violet and rose are the most fragrant. Both 
trays rest on low stools, the feet of which are elegantly 
carved. One of the adjoining rooms is fitted up 
with handsome narghiles, and long pipes with amber 
mouth-pieces of great value. In this room there is 
also a small manga! , or brazier, in which a charcoal 
fire is perpetually binning for the double purpose of 
boiling the often required coffee, and of supplying 



22 



THE THISTLE AND 



the smokers with, fire for their pipes, or narghilies. 
Servants are constantly in attendance in this room, 
and the arrival of a visitor is the signal for activity 
amongst them. Lemonade is first offered, and then 
smoking materials are pnt in requisition ; after this, 
the sweetmeats are handed round; and lastly, coffee is 
served* 

In a Pasha's house, when people call on official busi- 
ness, the appearance of coffee is a quiet hint to be off, 
or in other words, denotes a termination of that morning's 
visit. The visitor sips his coffee, returns the finjan 
to the attendant slave, touches heart, mouth, and head 
to the Pasha, and then bows himself out. The room 
opposite to this smoking apartment, is usually the 
dormitory of the servants; its outside appearance is 
handsome, and the closed door is tastefully carved and 
painted, but the interior is by no means inviting — heaps 
of mattrasses are piled up on all sides, and perchance 
even a small store of provisions for domestic consump- 
tion. In this respect this lumber-room is quite different 
to the usual appearance of things in Damascus, for the 
outside is the best-looking part of it. So much for the 
interior of the houses; now let us see how the ladies 
look when they are within doors, and have laid aside 
the izar and odious black handkerchief. We will first 
describe the daughter of the host; a very fair speci- 
men of her sex in Damascus. Her eyes are beautifully 
dark, her eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair, of a glossy 
jet black, the latter tinged with henna, hangs down her 

* It is the fashion of Damascus, and generally in the East, 
for the lady of the house to first sip the coffee and then hand 
it to the visitor as a mark of favour ; and on my first arrival in 
London I used to do the same, much to the astonishment of my 
English lady-friends. 



THE CEDAR OP LEBANON. 



23 



back and reaches nearly to the ground in a succession 
of plaits, each terminating with black silk braid, knotted 
and interwoven with various sized golden coins, her 
features (excepting the eyes) are all small but compact, 
The nose is Grecian, the lips cherry, and slightly pouting, 
the chin dimpled, the form of the face oval, and the 
complexion clear, with a rosy tint. The bust and figure 
are unexceptionable, the arms comely, the wrists and 
ankles well turned, and the feet and hands perfect 
models for a sculptor; yet this is one out of the many 
nondescript beings that we encountered, with izar and 
veil in the street. Her face and figure are well set 
off by the head-dress and oriental costume. On the 
top of her head she wears a small red cap, which is 
encircled by a handsomely flowered handkerchief, and 
over the latter strings of pearls and pieces of small gold 
money are tastefully arranged in festoons. In the 
centre of her red cap is a diamond crescent, from which 
hangs a long golden cord, with a blue silk tassel, usually 
ornamented with pearls : her vest fits tight, and admi- 
rably displays the unlaced figure. In summer this vest 
is of blue or pink satin, bordered and fringed with gold 
lace ; in winter, cloth, edged with fur, is substituted 
for the satin ; and over the vest is worn a short grey 
jacket, chastely embroidered with black silk braid. 
The vest is confined to the waist by a zunnar, in summer, 
of a silk Tripoli scarf, in winter by a costly cashmere shawl, 
and from under this a long robe reaches to her ankles, 
and is divided into two long lappels lined with satin and 
fringed with costly trimmings. This latter robe partially 
conceals the shirwal, or full trowsers, which hang loosely 
over, and are fastened round the ankles ; the tasty mix- 
ture of colors, and the graceful arrangement, renders 
the costume a perfect study. Latterly European shoes 



24 



THE THISTLE AND 



have been much used by the Damascene ladies, especially 
those gaily flowered kid shoes, imported into Syria from 
Marseilles. This completes the young lady's toilet, and 
her walk and action are as graceful as her figure and 
face are prepossessing ; but beyond the naam (yes) and 
la (no) of conversation, you can seldom get a word from 
her unless you are a very intimate friend of the family, 
and then these young ladies are as fond of a little 
romping or quizzing as their more accomplished and 
more elegant sisters of the North. It is a mistake to 
imagine that the natives of the Turkish empire are 
wholly excluded from any friendly intercourse with 
the women of those countries, a tale which has 
gained credence and been perseveringly maintained by 
travellers, few of whom have ever had an oppor- 
tunity of testing the truth of the report by personal 
experience. 

Amongst the higher classes of the Greek persuasion 
in particular, every freedom exists in doors; young 
ladies not only shew themselves, but, after serving the 
guest with coffee and sweetmeats, they will seat them- 
selves on the edge of the divan, and soon manage to 
join in the conversation. This state of freedom exists 
to a greater or less degree till the young girl is 
betrothed ; then it is not considered decorous that she 
should be present whenever her intended bridegroom 
visits the house, neither should she hear his name men- 
tioned. Even amongst Turks, and more especially 
in the villages and smaller towns of Syria, the young 
Mahomedan sees and converses with the future object 
of his love until she attains her eleventh or twelfth 
year ; she is then excluded from the society of men ; 
but womanhood has already begun to develop itself in 
the person of the girl of ten or eleven years old in these 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



25 



climates, where they are oftentimes wives and mothers 
at thirteen. Hence love exists between the young 
couple before the destined bridegroom urges his mother 
to make the requisite proposals of marriage. He loses 
sight of his lady-love as soon as she enters upon woman- 
hood, though he may, by means of a third party, catch 
an occasional glimpse of her features as she passes to 
and fro, strictly guarded by matrons and old duennas ; 
but not a single word or one bewitching kiss can the 
despairing lover hope for until she is brought home to 
his house, his lawful consort and partner for life ; then, 
and not till then, commences the great seclusion of the 
ladies of the Turkish hareem. Even this, in country 
places and villages, though the newly-married bride 
may be strictly guarded for a year or two, this feeling 
eventually wears off, and the women mix in the ^very- 
day occupations of the field or in the garden, unveiled 
and undistinguishable from their Christian neighbours. 
Of late years especially much progress has been made 
in this branch of civilisation, arising from the example 
set by the sultan's ladies themselves at Stamboul, and 
by the increase of European ladies at Beyrout and other 
towns in Syria, often travelling about the country, and 
who, though unveiled, enjoy a high reputation for 
virtue and honesty, convincing proof to the Turks, that 
the face, which is the mirror of the heart, was meant to 
be studied as an example, not as a concealed vessel of 
craft and guile. 

But to return to Damascus. We have now, gentle 
reader, taken a brief survey of the court-yards and lower 
portion of the houses ; and having been served with 
sweetmeats by the pretty young lady, we follow the 
matron of the house up stairs, to reach which we have 
to cross the yard, for there is no communication 

c 



26 



THE THISTLE AND 



between the lower and upper story, and we must pass 
into the arcade for the steps. Now that we have reached 
the upper story ; there is a room on either side of the 
mistaba communicating with a gallery : and these 
rooms are the sleeping apartments of the family in 
winter. In summer they serve as dressing-rooms and as 
a receptacle for the mattresses, etc., that are nightly 
spread on the top of the house for the family to sleep 
upon ; for in summer every one sleeps on the terrace, 
from the lord and master of the house and the lowest 
menial down to the very cats and dogs, whose instinct 
causes them to seek for coolness in the more elevated 
parts of the house. These rooms are gaily painted, but 
contain little or no furniture ; a divan or so, a mirror, 
some flower-vases, and ladies' nic-nacs ; these constitute 
the furniture. Mounting up to the terrace, we come 
upon a belvidere, surrounded on three sides by a wall 
lofty enough to prevent the possibility of the tallest 
man accidentally over-looking his neighbour's court- 
yard ; on the fourth side there is a wooden railing, from 
which we command a view of our own court-yard, 
catching a glimpse of some of the famed gardens of 
Damascus in the distance. 

The bazars of the city, crowded with busy purchasers, 
present a bustling scene to the stranger. After Con- 
stantinople, Damascus claims precedence for the quantity 
and richness of the stuffs displayed for sale in its bazars 
from all countries in the world. Indian manufactures, 
spices of Arabia, coffee from Mocha, and endless 
European wares, are hourly bartered and sold. The 
scent of sandal-wood and myrrh, the attar of Mecca, the 
Indian's curry ingredients, the rich drugs of the apothe- 
cary, the smoky perfumes of the scented narghili and pipe 
of Jabaliy tobacco ; all these tend to confuse and stupify 



THE CEDAll OF LEBANON. 



27 



the bewildered European, who, pushing his way through 
the dense multitude, follows us into a native restau- 
rant, where iced lemonade and sweetmeats are tanta- 
lisingly exposed for sale. The pleasant cold water, 
playing in artificial jets, turns a small tin watermill, 
hung with little silver bells, whose pleasant music first 
attracts the attention of the busy stranger. Here, 
seated for a moment, we enjoy the passing scene, and 
are vastly refreshed by the good things furnished ; but 
the place is crowded with a thirsty multitude, and the 
swarms of flies that alight on one's face and hands, 
make quiet and repose completely out of the question ; 
so we are up again and hurrying through the bazars 
towards the environs of the city. The day is too hot 
and the distance too great for a walk, so we hire horses 
and a native cicerone. 

The beauty of the environs of Damascus I can only 
compare to some lovely landscape of fancy's brightest 
imagining, in which is combined every rich and boun- 
tiful gift of providence — flowers, fruits, waters, hills, 
plains, rivers ; a cloudless, blue sky ; a rich, brilliant 
sunlight ; and the delicious zephyr breathing soft fresh- 
ness over the scene. It may well be believed by the 
zealous Mussulmans of Damascus, that Mahomed, as 
he beheld it from the western hills, declined to enter 
into the city, lest the luxurious richness of this earthly 
Paradise might induce him to forget the existence of 
another and an eternal one. Skilfully did the prophet 
make a virtue of necessity in this instance. He well 
knew his incapability of besieging the city. I am 
inclined to think that, had it been otherwise, Mahomed 
was far too eager after earthly enjoyments to have 
relinquished so fair a spot. 

Our guide fails not to point out to us two branches 



28 



THE THISTLE AND 



of the Barrada reckoned to be Abana and Pharpar, rivers 
which Naaman, the leper, thought better than the 
waters of Jordan. The lions to be seen at Damascus 
are numerous. Amongst these, we visit the Bab il 
Gharbi, where Tamerlane heaped up a pyramid of heads 
after taking the city by storm ; then the monument 
called Nabiy Abel, marking; it is said, the identical spot 
where Cain slew his innocent brother. The name of the 
city is presumed by some to be derived from this event, 
the word damm signifying " blood but I must confess, 
I cannot see much ground for this presumption. If any 
truth be attached to this tradition, our first parents 
cannot well have wandered far from the lovely Garden 
of Eden when this first tragedy occurred ; and Eden 
must have been situated to the west of Damascus, as it 
is said, that the angel of the Lord guarded the east end 
of the garden — a proof that our first parents were sent 
out eastward, and could only endeavour to return from 
that side. Some natives imagine that the Hammah and 
Hums of the present day are on the site of the beautiful 
garden of gardens. The eastern gate of the city, now 
walled up, is where St. Paul is supposed to have been let 
down in a basket ; they shew us the very house from 
which he is said to have escaped. The Christian cemetery, 
containing the tomb of St. George, and the arch where 
St. Paul hid himself on escaping from Damascus ; the 
wide road beyond the cemetery, still highly reverenced as 
the spot of the miraculous conversion; all these were 
familiar to me during my long stay in this fair city; and 
I mention them here for the benefit of strangers visiting 
the spot. 

During the summer evenings, my relative, at whose 
house I was staying, gave frequent entertainments to 
his friends and acquaintances amongst the inhabitants 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



29 



of Damascus. On these occasions, the ladies of the 
different families honoured us with their presence, and 
occasionally some of the European consuls and mer- 
chants were invited. A description of one evening party 
will describe the whole. First, then, we will introduce 
the stranger into the house where the far ah (feast) is to 
be held. Women are busily occupied washing out and 
sweeping the court-yard ; the flowers and other plants 
are fresh watered ; the marble fountain is decorated with 
coloured lanterns and festoons of flowers ; carpets are 
spread, and divan cushions ranged against the walls ; the 
mistaba is tastefully lighted, and a highly inflammable 
torch, composed of the fat wood of fir, resin, and 
other ingredients, is planted in each of the four 
corners. In the smoking apartment of the mistaba, 
preparations are making on a grand scale. Large bags 
of ready-washed and prepared timbac are hung upon 
nails in the wall, to Alter and to be fit for immediate 
use when the narghilies are called into requisition. To- 
bacco pouches are filled. Two additional mangals of 
charcoal-fire and some additional coffee-pots are pre- 
pared. Decanters, are filled with arraki, wine, liqueurs, 
orange-flower and rose-water ; and the cut-glass saucers 
replenished with candied preserves ; whilst two maid- 
servants and a boy, assisted and -superintended by the 
mistress of the house, are busy grinding coffee and 
decocting huge bowls of deliciously-iced lemonade. In 
addition to all this a side-table is groaning under the 
weight of plates of sliced oranges and picked pome- 
granates, with numerous other fruits, and a great variety 
of pastry. By the time all these arrangements are 
completed the night sets in ; the whole yard is illu- 
minated ; the members of the household and the ser- 
vants are busily engaged donning their best attire, and 



30 



THE THISTLE AND 



the company of hired musicians arrive. The music 
striking up, is the signal for the nearest invited neigh- 
bours to make their appearance. They arrive, the men 
clad in long, loose silken robes ; the women enveloped 
in their white izars ; but these latter are speedily thrown 
aside at the invitation of the lady of the house, who 
assists in helping the guests to disrobe, and then con- 
fides their izars to the trusty care of the handmaiden. 

Now these veils are all of the same make, and they 
have no initials or other distinguishing mark. Not- 
withstanding this, no confusion ensues on the breaking 
up of a party as to identification, every lady is quick to 
recognise her own peculiar tzar from the mass of 
white sheets that are folded and piled one above another 
upon the divan in the upstairs dressing-room. Soon 
the whole party have arrived, and the amusements of 
the evening commence with vocal and instrumental 
music. After this, some of the gentlemen stand up and 
go through the graceful attitudes of the Syrian dance, 
then some others volunteer the sword dance, or the 
Bedouin dance, some of the married ladies then take 
courage; but it requires coaxing and threats to induce 
the timid damsel to display her skill. Persuasion being 
out of the question, some old gentleman gets up and 
pretends that he is going to dance instead of her, and 
he goes through a few steps till he comes close up to 
some girl that he has singled out from the circle. 
Seizing her arm with no very gentle force, he whirls 
into the centre of the yard, and meanwhile some one 
who has watched the manoeuvre, acts the same part 
by some other blushing maiden. These are confronted 
face to face, and there is now no escape, so they com- 
mence at first timidly and bashfully, but getting 
gradually excited by the music, they lose all this pre- 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



31 



tended bashfulness, and do their best to outshine each 
other; and truly there is rarely a more graceful sight 
than two beautiful Damascene girls, elegantly dressed 
and bespangled with jewels, displaying their graceful 
figures to the best advantage, to the slow but becoming 
measures of the dance. All the other young ladies now 
follow their example, and as each couple retires at the 
termination of their efforts to please, they are hailed 
with shouts of applause, and liberally besprinkled with 
rose and orange-flower water. The old ladies evince 
their approbation by a peculiar vibrating scream, pro- 
duced by the voice passing through the nearly closed 
lips, whilst the under lip is kept in a continual tremulous 
state by the rapid application of the back of the fore 
finger to that feature. When dancing is over for the 
evening, games of forfeit are introduced, and promote 
much mirth, especially one game called " Tuthun Tuthun, 
min Tuthun" — a game of Turkish origin, as its name 
denotes, and which is played thus : — Every one in the 
circle takes the name of a bird, a tree, or a flower, 
whilst the king of the game goes round and collects in 
a handkerchief some small article from each one present. 
These he afterwards shuffles together, and then drawing 
one out which he carefully conceals in his hand, he 
fixes upon some one in the circle, to whom he puts 
the question — " Tuthun Tuthun, min Tuthun ? " or, 
" Tobacco tobacco, whose is it?" The party fixed 
upon is obliged to guess, and he names some bird or 
flower which he heard some one call himself ; if the 
guess is wrong, he has to hold out his hand and receive 
three stripes from a closely knotted handkerchief, and 
then the party referred to is next obliged to guess to 
whom the " Tuthun" belongs, and so on all round the 
circle till the right name has been discovered. Then 



32 



THE THISTLE AND 



the king resigns his post and handkerchief, and is 
relieved in his office by him or her that made the right 
guess. 

After these games some one tells a story or recites a 
poem, a specimen of which I am enabled to introduce, 
literally translated. 

I. 

Alas ! and ah well a-day, that my rose-faced love, my 
intimate, my soul's companion, should be enveloped in 
her shroud ! That tongue, once familiar with so many 
languages, gives utterance now to none. I listen vainly 
and am astonished not to hear thy once-loved voice. 

IT. 

Tell me, O Grave, tell me, is her incomparable beauty 
gone ? Has she, too, faded as the petals fall from the 
sweetest flower, and her lovely face changed — changed 
and gone ! Thou art not a garden, Grave ; nor yet 
heaven ; still all the fairest flowers and the brightest 
plants are culled by thee. 

nr. 

O black, mysterious Ground, tell me how or where- 
fore have we sinned, that thou art prone to hug the 
beautiful, the chaste, the rare — and yet so cold thy 
love. Stones alone hast thou for pillows for the tender, 
the loved, the fair. 

IF. 

O Ground — confusion to thy face! — think not the 
treasure that is withering in thy grasp is thine. O 
no ! Thank God, her soul, her immortality, is far beyond 
thy reach. 

V. 

Earth, unfeeling Earth, thy heart is adamant ; nor 
hope nor pity find a place in thee. Yet seeds sown in 
thy bosom spring up as flowers beautiful and rare. 
Without thee, a solitary soul — a blank is the world to 
me — nor merry laugh nor cheerful glance has now a 
charm. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



33 



VI. 

Sometimes I weep alone to think that I have lost thy 
love for ever— and then, oh ! bitterly I weep to see thy 
mother's furrowed brow— full well she feels the treasure 
lost— the young child and the beautiful. I marvel not, 
angel, that thou art gone— for heaven were better fitted 
for thy home than earth ; but I marvel that we can live 
yet awhile on earth— live without thy smile. 

VII. 

And thou who couldst barely resist the cold— thy 
fate is hard — nor friend to whisper comfort, nor careful 
eye to watch — in thy cold, solitary, mysterious grave — 
none can give comfort. But how foolish ! I speak to 
dust. Thy soul, thank God ! is far beyond the hurt of 
man or evil spirit. 



I will now endeavour to give my readers a specimen 
of an original Arabic tale in the familiar and colloquial 
style of these Oriental storytellers so famed for their 
amusing delivery and gesticulation. 

THE STORY OF THE JINN AND THE SCOLDING WIFE. 
Once upon a time, many years ago, when good people were rather 
scarce upon the earth, and such men as Noah had ceased to 
exist, there dwelt a certain poor man at the city of Aleppo, whose 
name was — I forget now exactly what ; but as his heirs might 
not take it in good part, we had best leave the name-part of the 
business alone altogether. However, he was fortunate enough to 
pick up with a pretty little wife, whose smiles, so thought the 
lover, were like the dew of Hermon ; instead of which, they 
proved to be very mildew in every sense of the word. Yusuf— 
so was the man called, but, I forgot, we must not mention it — 
married the fair AnkafTr. First week, honey and kaymak, and 
everything nice and sweet ; second week, necklaces and other 
jewellery required ; third week, funds low, dinners scant, temper 
sour ; fourth week, squalls matrimonial from morning to night, 
from night to morning. 

c 5 



34 



THE THISTLE AND 



" I tell you what it is, my dear," quoth Yusuf, " either you 
must leave off blowing up, or I must take to bastinadoing : so 
just you choose the least evil." 

To hear her talk of his inhumanity — to hear her talk of her 
rich relations and their influence with the Pasha — to hear her 
storm about broken hearts and, what is a great deal more serious 
and matter-of-fact, broken heads — I say, to hear her jabber about 
all this,, was enough to turn a quiet, sober-minded man into a 
misanthrope for life ; but, to feel the argument in the shape of 
sundry manipulations, cuffs on the ear, scratches, etc., this was 
beyond the endurance of a martyr ; so thought Yusuf, so did 
his friends, and so did the evil counsellors that recommended 
him to resort to the use of water as an only alternative. 

Now, I don't mean to say, mind you, that they suggested, that 
water, as an every-day kind of a beverage, was likely to be pro- 
ductive of very beneficial effects ; neither did they hint that 
arraki and water, though this latter has often done the job, 
would facilitate in ridding Yusuf of his incubus. The river 
Euphrates was thought deep enough — a casualty in the upset of 
a boat, plausible. The desperate husband took the hint. One 
day he had a headache. Next day, change of air was thought 
requisite, and the water-side recommended. He went to Berijek 
thence to the river-side. A friendly old boatman hired him a 
boat and his own personal services, and 

Upon the stream they got 'em. 

The wind blew high ; he blew his nose, 

And — sent her to the bottom. 

She sunk, never again to rise, and the light-hearted husband 
leaped out of the boat and strolled along the river-side. 

By and bye, a damp-looking old customer, half Neptune, half 
I don't know what you may call it, comes walking up the 
river, just as coolly as a ship of war might float on the ocean, 
and as fresh as though he had only just got in for a dip, instead 
of having floated ever so many hundred miles. 

" Salani alaykum," says Yusuf, " I hope you're well." 

" Peace, thou son of a swine," says the stranger ; " What do 
you mean by sending her there to bother us?" 

" Who is it you mean, sir V 

" Who," said the fierce little man, who was nothing more or 
less than the Jinn, or Spirit of the Water, " why her, to be sure, 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



35 



that vixen of a wife of yours, who has completely denied the 
water. Why there is no peace any more in those regions, and I have 
come forth to take a signal vengeance on you : now choose what 
death you like — hanging, tearing in pieces, or impaling. 

"Sir," said Yusuf, very humbly, " if you, who are possessed 
of so much power, cannot control her temper, how could I, a 
miserable mortal, hope to manage her V 

There was so much truth in this assertion, that the Jinn calmed 
down amazingly. " My friend," quoth he, " I see you're a sensi- 
ble man ; you and I will henceforth unite our fortunes ; so just 
have the kindness to step upon my shoulders, and we will be off 
like a lightning-flash for Baghdad." Yusuf did as he was 
desired ; and in the course of the next hour, they were safely 
housed in Baghdad. Now the Caliph had an only daughter, who 
was reported beautiful as the morning star. 

" Would you like to have her," quoth the Jinn, " for a wife ?" 

" Who, me, sir ; I am very much obliged to you," quoth 
Yusuf ; " but I don't exactly see how that is to be accom- 
plished." 

" Oh, I will manage that part of the matter. You pass your- 
self off for a great liaklm. I will coil myself round the girl's 
neck in the shape of a most venomous snake with two heads. 
No one shall be able to approach but you. You burn that bit 
of paper that I have written upon, and throw the ashes into 
water, and as it is demolished, so will I gradually disappear. 
The results will be the Caliph's gratitude and his daughter's 
hand and heart." 

Yusuf was very willing to do as he was bid. The feat was 
accomplished. He married the girl and settled down for life in 
easy circumstances. Some time after, the Jinn fell desperately in 
love with the Vizier's daughter, and displayed his attachment in 
the rather uncongenial form of a viper. Now the Caliph had 
borne in mind the notoriety of his son-in-law in this peculiar 
species of malady ; so when the vizier came moaning and com- 
plaining that Yusuf would not go and cure his daughter, he 
sent his compliments to Yusuf, with a silken cord and the 
alternative carefully tied up in an embroidered pocket-hand- 
kerchief — of immediate compliance with his will — an arsenic pill 
or strangulation. Yusuf had no remedy, though he had faith- 
fully promised the Jinn never to intrude upon his felicity. He 
hit, however, upon a plausible excuse, and being introduced into 



36 



THE THISTLE AND 



the presence of the Vizier's daughter, he bent over her neck and 
whispered to the Jinn — 

" I sa y> I've just dropped in to warn you that she is here in 
Baghdad, and looking for you." 

"Why, you don't mean her ?" said the alarmed Jinn. 

" But I do though, sure as you are a ghost." 

" I sa y? you wont say where I am off to, will you," says the 
Jinn ; " but if you will just pack up your salams and any 
other light articles you may wish to send to your friends, I'll be 
happy to be the bearer. I'm off." 

"Are you, though ?" says Yusuf. 

" Yes I am," said the Jinn. 

" I'd rather stem an angry wave 
Than meet a storming woman." 

And so saying, he departed, and the vizier's daughter was 
healed. 

Refreshments have been served at intervals; and the 
smoking has been incessant, the married ladies, espe- 
cially mothers of families, indulging in whiffs at the 
narghili. It is considered unbecoming in a young lady 
to smoke, and they never do so in public : but as they 
often serve the narghili to distinguished guests, they are 
compelled to take some whiffs, as it is customary to 
present it lighted; and as this process does not appear to 
make them feel unwell, we naturally imagine that on 
the sly these young ladies frequently indulge themselves 
with a pipe. This, kind reader, is a fair sample of the 
manner in which the Damascus Christians amuse them- 
selves during the evening. 

Once Mr. Farren, the then British Consul- General 
at Damascus, gave a grand entertainment to celebrate 
the king's birth-day. To this, my relative and myself 
were invited, in common with several of the Maho- 
medan chiefs and Christian inhabitants of Damascus, 
who were utterly astounded at the magnificent dis- 
play of European luxury. The rooms were decorated 



THE CEDAR 01 LEBANON, 



37 



with flags of all nations, and splendidly furnished 
a V Anglais e ; and it was probably the first fete of 
the kind that many of these people had ever witnessed. 
Every one was much charmed with the affable 
manners of the Consul, and impressed with the 
wealth and dignity of the nation he represented. And 
this kind of display was doubtless very beneficial in 
curbing the fanatical hatred of the Damascus Maho- 
medans towards Kuffar in general, which, at that time, 
raged to such a pitch that no Christian could, without 
insult, traverse the streets of Damascus on horseback, 
especially with a white turban, till the interpreter of 
Mr. Farren ventured to break through the law. Amongst 
the Moslems in Syria, those only who are direct 
descendants of the prophet, or who have accompanied 
the Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca, are permitted to wear 
a green turban, the other Mahomedans a white one. 
In the mountains it is worn indiscrhninately by all 
creeds. In Turkey, those born on Friday are entitled 
to wear green. This fact surprised an English friend 
at Constantinople, who seeing so many green turbans, 
and not being aware of this latter circumstance, observed 
that the prophet must have a large family. 

During Ibrahim Pacha's occupation of the country, 
he did much towards bringing these haughty and 
cruel Mahomedans to a due appreciation of their own 
nothingness, and the Damascus of to-day is a very dif- 
ferent town to the Damascus of some twenty years 
back. Xow Christians, and even Jews, in all garbs 
and costumes ride to and fro unmolested, and since 
the departure of the Egyptians, no small share of praise 
is clue to the energy and exertions of Mr. Richard 
Wood, the present consul, who is so much respected by 
the natives as to be distinguished amongst them by 



38 



THE THISTLE AND 



the Turkish title of Bey and who has successfully 
persevered in maintaining the privileges afforded to 
residents and strangers of all creeds under the iron 
sway of Ibrahim Pasha. 

The Roman Catholics have made comparatively few 
converts in Damascus, and the mysterious disappearance 
a few years since of Padre Tomaso and his servant, 
acts as a check upon the Jesuits, who mostly avoid 
those places where every security is not afforded, and 
where great temporal advantages do not accompany the 
success of their efforts at conversion. 

By the last published report of the British and 
Foreign Bible Society, the heart is cheered with the 
intelligence that there are now established in Damascus 
three American and two Irish Missionaries. May 
their efforts be crowned with success; for Damascus 
is said to contain about 140,000 inhabitants, all, more 
or less, superstitiously ignorant and blind to the blessed 
light of the gospel ! 

Damascus existed even before the patriarch Abra- 
ham's time, being referred to as a well known place 
in the fourteenth chapter of Genesis; it was the 
capital of Syria, founded by Bezin, and was sacked 
by Jeroboam II., king of Israel. It is now a com- 
paratively thriving and populous city, and has those 
natural resources of climate, soil, and abundance 
of water which cannot fail to perpetuate its fame 
as the garden of the East. That scourge of nations, 
the cholera, did not, however, exempt the fair environs 
of Sham in its progress from east to west in 1848. 
Thousands fell victims to its ravages, and even many of 
the pleasant and open villages in the neighbourhood 
were desolated by the hawa al Asfar, or the yellow wind, 
as the Syrians designate that terrible plague. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



39 



CHAPTER IT. 

THE AMERICAN MISSIONARIES AT BEYROUT. 

Aeter a residence of upwards of two years at Damascus, 
I was suddenly, in the spring of the rear recalled 
to Beyrout, this latter town having, in my absence, 
grown into considerable importance as a commercial 
sea-port. The traffic with European countries daily 
augmenting, had given an impetus to several enter- 
prising young Syrians, who wished to acquire a know- 
ledge of European languages : and as precedents were 
not wanting of this knowledge having led to preferment 
and subsequent opulence, my family conceived the idea 
of placing me under the care of some of the excellent 
American Missionaries, for tuition in English and other 
European languages. It was not without reluctance 
that I obeyed the mandate of my friends, but as implicit 
obedience to their will was a primary consideration, 
bidding adieu to my many kind acquaintances, I re- 
traced my steps, and in the course of a few days was 
once again in the bosom of my own dear family. The 
Americans have always numbered amongst their fra- 
ternity a medical officer ; and it was mainly attributable 
to this fact, that myself, as well as many other Syrian 
lads, were happily blessed with the opportunity 
of receiving a good moral education. I was just 
entering on eighteen when I first joined the American 
school ; still too young to have any deeply-rooted 
prejudices or ideas, though luckily old enough to appre- 



40 



THE THISTLE AND 



ciate the value of the opportunity thus afforded me, and 
consequently to endeavour to profit by it as much as 
lay in my power ; but I must here explain how it 
happened that a physician was, through the blessing of 
Providence, the means of gaining for us so priceless a 
boon. When the American Missionaries first arrived 
in Syria, their advent gave rise to conjecture and sus- 
picion amongst the natives. Bishops and priests warned 
their congregations to be on the alert, and guard against 
any efforts made by the Missionaries to convert the 
people ; these admonitions and warnings were strength- 
ened by reports spread by the crafty emissaries of the 
Pope, which were as false as they were calumnious. It 
was no part of Roman Catholic policy to countenance 
the good endeavours of these Missionaries to enlighten 
the natives of the country, by the establishment of 
schools and circulation of the holy word of God, as con- 
tained in Arabic Bibles, printed by the* Church Mis- 
sionary Society in London. Heretofore the Papists 
had to grapple only with the superstitious but simple- 
minded followers of the Eastern Church. In Aleppo 
and Beyrout they had already Syrian Catholics, whose 
talents were employed to hinder the work of the mission- 
aries ; but now they had formidable opponents to com- 
bat with — men as infinitely their superiors in wisdom 
and acquirements, as they were religiously steadfast, 
and persevering with all humility and patience to carry 
out their ends, for the accomplishment of which, they had 
left their distant country, and sacrificed home and every 
comfort. What the Boman Catholics had most to dread, 
was the establishment of Protestant schools, a measure 
which they clearly foresaw would tend to their ultimate 
confusion and defeat, and to overthrow which they left 
no means untried. Had not the Americans been 



THE CEDAR OP LEBANON. 



41 



possessed of great Christian patience, and matured sound 
judgment, they could not possibly have succeeded; but 
time proved their deeds and actions to be the purest ; 
their morals, precepts, and examples, above praise ; the 
blessing of Grod was with them, and they watched and 
prayed continually. At length an opportunity pre- 
sented itself; and they, like careful sentries, availed 
themselves of it, and from that time up to the present 
date their schools have gone on progressing, and though 
they have not succeeded in making many converts, they 
have prevented much evil by their watchful care over 
the natives. Sickness is a leveller of many prejudices ; 
and this is more particularly the case in Syria, where 
physicians are scarce and must be selected without re- 
gard to creed. From, time immemorial the natives have 
placed implicit faith in the skill of Frank hakim: of 
late years English and American doctors have more 
particularly risen in their confidence. This is chiefly 
owing to the Turkish empire having been inundated 
with a set of soi-disant physicians, many of whom were 
political refugees and renegades, untutored and totally 
ignorant of the profession they aped. Happily no English- 
man or American has ever been convicted of thus im- 
posing on the Syrians : such among them as have 
appeared were regularly educated physicians and sur- 
geons. The resident consul could always satisfy him- 
self on this point, and thus give confidence to the people. 
Italians, Frenchmen, Germans, Poles, in short, subjects 
of almost every other European power have, by virtue 
of a piece of parchment (forged or purchased) and a few 
drugs, foisted themselves upon the notice of Syrians 
as eminent practitioners; but their exorbitant charges 
and unsuccessful practice soon opened the eyes of the 
people as to their real position, yet not before these 



42 



THE THISTLE AND 



charlatans had worked out for their medical brethren 
so foul a reputation, that the natives have become 
suspicious of all new-comers, and would rather have 
recourse to the simple remedies prescribed by the 
village herb doctor, than entrust their lives to be experi- 
mentalised upon by foreign quacks. 

Apropos of this, I may mention an anecdote that 
was related to me by Mr. Edward Zohrab, the respected 
Turkish Consul- General in London. This gentleman, 
once travelling in the interior of Turkejr, had the 
misfortune to fall ill at a remote village where all hopes 
of succour were despaired of; whilst debating with 
the Sheikh of the village on the feasibility of despatch- 
ing an express messenger to the nearest large town in 
search of medical aid, there arrived, most opportunely, 
a European traveller who had taken up his lodgings 
for the night at the public khan of the village ; this 
grandee's servant soon spread the fame of his master 
in the place. 

"He is," said he, "the only learned Frank physi- 
cian in Turkey. He has been haldm to all the great 
padshahs of Europe, and is only travelling here to 
find some rare drugs and medicinal stones for the great 
emperor of Moscof." 

" Is he ?' said the delighted Sheikh, who had rushed 
to seek aid from the str auger. 

"Then for Allah's sake bring him with all speed 
to my residence; for there is a miri liwa dying there of 
fever ; and if anything happens in my house what 's to 
become of me and my family?" 

The learned physician accompanied the Sheikh to his 
house, and in him, Mr. Zohrab discovered, to his utter 
amazement and discomfort, the person of a once respect- 
able Italian ship-chandler who had carried on business 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



43 



some years back at Constantinople, but who subsequently 
failing, bad donned tbe cap and cloak of a mountebank 
and went about quacking tbe natives. It is needless 
to say tbat tbe discomfited doctor made a precipitate 
retreat from tbe village. But to return to tbe subject 
after tbis digression, tbe good done by tbe American 
physician was peculiarly instanced in my own family. 

A very near relative lay grievously ill at Beyrout — 
every effort of the native hakim to give him sleep 
proved abortive. Native astrologers came, and writing 
down the names and number of letters in each name 
of the patient and of his mother, multiplied and divided 
the sum total, and then tearing up the paper into fine 
shreds, swallowed the whole ; but even this magic failed. 
After much discussion, it was finally determined, much 
to the disgust of my clerical uncle, to summon the Ame- 
rican doctor, with whom or with whose brethren my 
family had heretofore carefully avoided intercourse. 

The doctor came — his mild gentle demeanour — his 
soft sweet words of consolation — his consummate skill — 
and his great talents as a man of learning— all these 
gained for him the deepest respect and regard, whilst 
his indefatigable attention to the invalid claimed our 
gratitude. We, in common with our neighbours, had 
entertained a vulgar prejudice against this good man, 
because it was generally asserted that wherever he 
could introduce himself under the cloak of his pro- 
fession to the sick and dying, he invariably profited by 
the opportunity to sow discord amongst the members 
of the family by propagating doctrines strangely at 
variance with their creed. How false these accusations 
— how gross the calumnies heaped upon him, and 
through whose agency they had originated, now became 
clear to my family and their friends, and we now 



44 



THE THISTLE AND 



esteemed these kind Americans the better from a sense 
of having unjustly injured them, though it were only 
in thought. During my relative's long and dangerous 
illness the doctor's kindness was above praise — he 
never intruded a single question or made any reference 
to difference of creeds ; but when the patient was con- 
valescent, and when he saw that his visits were no 
longer necessary, on taking leave of us, the doctor 
distributed a few tracts on religious subjects amongst 
ourselves and neighbours, begging us at our leisure to 
peruse them. Had he done this before we had become 
acquainted with his intrinsic worth and merits, the 
chances are that these tracts would have been flung 
into the fire so soon as his back was turned. Now, 
however, we all felt persuaded that so good a man could 
never be guilty of propagating anything that was not 
good and moral. The result was, that his gifts were 
treasured up and perused with attention, and whenever 
the doctor paid us a friendly visit he brought with 
him more delightful little stories — the print was so 
clear — the pictures and binding so pretty, that these 
tracts were much prized, and very soon much sought 
after. The children of the native Christians and those 
of the American missionaries became playmates ; and 
the prejudices that had barred the doors of the American 
school-room against the former were gradually removed. 
It was at this period that I was sent for to Beyrout ; 
and a few weeks after my arrival I was duly installed 
as one amongst other native students under the kind 
tuition of Messrs. Goodall and Whiting of the mission. 

I can never sufficiently express my deep sense of 
gratitude to these two excellent gentlemen. Under 
them I acquired the rudiments of a good general 
education; and as my knowledge of their language grew 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



45 



apace, I was afforded free access to such books, both 
amusing and instructive, as were well calculated to 
engraft a thirst after knowledge and develop the 
understanding. Generally speaking, all the native 
scholars, sooner or later, comprehended the wide 
difference existing between the Gospel truths as ex- 
pounded in the Eastern churches, and the true sense 
and comprehensive meaning of the Word of God as 
contained in the holy Bible, such as it was our custom 
to peruse, morning, noon and night. We discovered 
that the Bible was a pleasant book, full of entertaining 
history and adventure, and abounding with illustrations 
of the marvellous mercy and love of the Creator for 
the creature ; and that this book should be forbidden by 
the Eomish priests at first appeared to us singular; then 
very wrong : and ultimately we felt convinced that in 
so doing they were guilty of a heinous offence. 

My education consisted in simple lessons, reading, 
writing, and arithmetic. However, I made no great 
progress in worldly knowledge ; but the precepts and 
examples of my kind instructors were, I trust, a good 
seed sown in season ; they took root in the tender soil 
of childish simplicity ; they shot up with childhood and 
ripened with the years of maturity; and I humbly hope 
that, with the blessing of the Almighty, they may never 
hereafter be choked by those tares sown by Satan — the 
sinful vanities and pleasures of this world. 

I remember, amongst the many anecdotes and in- 
cidents of those happy days, one which made a deep 
impression upon myself and my fellow-students. During 
the fruit season, as our school-house at Beyrout was 
situated amongst the gardens, we boys made frequent 
excursions in the night to pillage the neighbouring 
orchards of their superabundant loads of fruit ; this 



46 



THE THISTLE AND 



was a common practice amongst all the lads of the town 
of Beyrout ; and though doubtless very wrong, still fruit 
is so cheap and so plentiful that, even when detected 
by the proprietors, our punishment rarely exceeded a 
cuff or two on the ears, and many direful threats as to 
any future offence. Notwithstanding these threats, 
however, the fruit was too tempting to be so easily 
relinquished. One night I sallied out with several 
other of my schoolfellows, and amongst these a young 
chief of the Druses, named Sheikh Ahmed, — a boy of 
undaunted courage, and who, in after-years,, as I will 
explain further on, was the means of saving the life of 
one connected with the mission school. On this eventful 
night, sentries had been set to watch our movements, 
and we were all taken in the very act. The angry 
proprietor made us bear the brunt of all his losses ; and 
so, after being very roughly treated and deprived of all 
our plunder, we were set free and permitted to run 
home again as best we could, with rueful faces and 
aching limbs. 

By some means, "a report of this transaction had 
reached the school-master's ears by times next morning, 
though we were ignorant of this fact till breakfast-time 
arrived; then, with keen appetites, we resorted to our 
usual place at the breakfast-table, when lo ! there were 
nothing but plates turned bottom upwards laid for such 
amongst us as had been engaged in the orchard-rifling 
affair. The rest of the boys, who were well supplied with 
dainties, were quite at a loss to account for this de- 
ficiency ; but our guilty consciences plainly whispered 
to us the motives for this punishment ; we, therefore, 
sneaked out of the room, inwardly determined never to 
expose ourselves to such well-merited treatment again ; 
and we firmly adhered to our resolution. This silent and 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



47 



mild method of punishing an offence had far more ett'ect 
with ns than rougher treatment; and the chances are, 
that if we had been publicly upbraided, whipped, and 
tasked, we should not so quickly have amended. 

The Sheikh Ahmed, after having left school, 
whilst heading his own people, the Druses, during the 
war in Lebanon, one day suddenly came upon a 
group of angry villagers, who were about to wreak their 
vengeance upon an unhappy traveller who had fallen 
into their hands. The young Sheikh authoritatively 
interfered and swore by his beard no harm should 
be done to him. In the traveller, to his astonish- 
ment and joy, Sheikh Ahmed identified the Arabic 
professor of the mission school, — a simple, good man, 
to whose care and tuition we were all much indebted, 
and who, having been mistaken for a Maronite, was 
about falling a victim to mistaken identity. The name 
of this intelligent and excellent man was Tannoos 
Haddad, who had been converted to Christianity by the 
American missionaries, and has since been ordained, 
and is now assisting in the spread of the Gospel among 
his benighted countrymen. The head of the school at 
that time was Mr. Hubbard, who a few years after died 
at Malta, and many a young man now in Syria grate- 
fully recalls his memory as having been the means of 
their education and advancement both in temporal and 
spiritual knowledge. 

At present, the following is a list of the missionaries 
at Beyrout :— Rev. Eli Smith, D.D.; Rev. B. Whiting; 
H. A. D. Forest, M.D. ; Mr. Hurtes, superintendent of 
the printing department; Buttros Bistani, and Elias 
Fowas, native helpers. No one has ever replaced the 
late Mr. Winbolt, the much-esteemed and regretted 
chaplain of Beyrout ; and the Americans are about to 



48 



THE THISTLE AND 



remove to the mountains. Lord help the souls of the 
forty thousand inhabitants now living there, and put it 
in the hearts of the English people to establish schools 
and hospitals in this most promising field for missionary 
labour. 

Beyrout was, at the period of which I am now 
writing, under the Egyptian government, and the whole 
place was overrun by fierce Albanian soldiers and recruits, 
who were the terror of society. Many are the instances on 
record of the outrages committed by these men ; but 
their treatment of the esteemed Mr. Bird, an American 
missionary, was perhaps the most glaring instance of 
unprovoked atrocity. 

Mr. Bird had a country-house in the environs of 
Beyrout, not far from where some of the troops were 
encamped. This house was surrounded by a large fruit- 
garden, and the produce was continually stolen and 
recklessly wasted; for which, however, there appears to 
have been no remedy. On one occasion, Mr. Bird's 
native servant, seeing some soldiers pilfering from a 
fig-tree, threw a stone, which unfortunately took effect 
and slightly wounded one of them in the head. Hearing 
the uproar that ensued, and learning the cause from his 
servant, Mr. B — immediately ran out with a few 
necessaries in his hands to examine and dress the wound. 
He was thus charitably occupied when a number of the 
man's comrades, who had been attracted by the noise, 
arrived upon the spot, and presuming it to be Mr. Bird 
who had wounded the man, made a ruffianly assault on 
that unoffending person, buffeted and bound him ; and 
finally carried their cruel vengeance to such an extent, 
that they actually crucified him on a sycamore-tree, 
using cords in lieu of nails, but in every other respect 
blasphemously imitating the position of the figure upon 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



49 



the cross, as seen by tliem often in pictures and on 
crucifixes. Here, spit upon, slapped, and derided, 
Mr. Bird was left for some time suffering intense 
agony, both of mind and body, for the hot afternoon 
sun shone fiercely upon him, and the sharp stings of the 
sand-flies drove him almost to distraction ; happily the 
servant had made his escape into the town, and flown 
to the residence of the consul. So flagrant an offence 
naturally excited the anger of all the Europeans in 
Beyrout ; and consuls of every nation, accompanied by 
their retinue, all armed to the teeth, rode forth to the 
rescue. On seeing so large a cavalcade advance, the 
troops beat to arms ; and affairs now assumed a most 
menacing attitude on both sides. A council was held 
among the Europeans; and it was speedily determined 
that a deputation should dismount and proceed on foot 
to the tent of the officer commanding the troops. This 
was accordingly done; and the Pasha, having listened to 
the complaint, summoned the offenders into his presence, 
meanwhile issuing orders that Mr. Bird should be 
instantly released and brought before him, that he 
might speak for himself. The soldiers endeavoured to 
vindicate themselves, by asserting that the Franks had 
murdered a true believer of the prophet ; and in proof 
of what they asserted, they had actually the audacity 
and folly to cause the wounded man to be carried on a 
few planks, hastily knocked together, and set down on 
the ground a few paces distant from the Pasha's tent, 
where the impudent fellow so well maintained the rigi- 
dity of limb and face, that he really had much the 
appearance of a cold stiff corpse. The Pasha's doctor, 
however, was close at hand; and this officer was ordered 
to see whether the man was really dead or in a dying con- 
dition. The doctor, who was an acute man, soon saw 

D 



50 



THE THISTLE AND 



how matters stood; and producing from his coat pocket 
a bottle of sal volatile, he dexterously applied it to the nose 
of the prostrate soldier, and with such good effect, that 
the man started up as though he had received an 
electric shock, and was seized with such a violent fit of 
sneezing, that, notwithstanding the serious position of 
both parties, it was found impossible to resist a simul- 
taneous burst of laughter. The Pasha was too much 
enraged to join in this hilarity, which he speedily 
checked by thundering out to his attendants to seize 
upon the ringleaders in this disgraceful riot, and have 
them hung on the same tree upon which Mr. Bird 
had been exposed — a threat that would doubtless 
have been put into immediate execution but for the 
strenuous interference of good Mr. Bird, who, though 
still smarting from the severity of his treatment, was 
far too good a Christian to allow his enemies to be 
punished. He tried hard to beg them off altogether ; 
but this the Pasha would not listen to, so the Europeans 
returned home to be out of hearing of the cries of the 
wretches as they underwent the severest bastinadoing 
ever inflicted, where flogging stops short of life. 

This account will appear a perfect fable to those who 
only know Beyrout in its present civilised state; and 
vast indeed must have been the change for the better, 
when ladies and children can wander about the place^ 
singly and unprotected, at all hours of the day, and 
even, I may venture to assert, throughout the night. 

Since the expulsion of the Egyptians, in 1840, 
Beyrout has rapidly risen into considerable importance ; 
and it may now be considered the chief entrepot of 
Syrian commerce. At that period there were barely 
three or four European families established; and an 
English vessel only occasionally touched at the Port; 



THE CEDAR OE LEBANON. 



51 



now, merchants, artizans, and shopkeepers, from all 
parts of Europe have nocked into the town ; and barely 
a week passes by without three or more vessels arriving 
in the roads from Liverpool, London, and Holland. The 
roadstead presents a gay appearance on Sunday, when 
all the different vessels display the ensigns of their res- 
pective nations, and corresponding flags are hoisted from 
the tops of the consulates on shore. English, French, 
Sardinian, Austrian, American, Portuguese, Spanish, 
Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish ships are daily 
arriving at, or sailing out of the port, bringing manu- 
factures from Manchester, colonial produce from London, 
sugar from Hamburg, assorted cargoes from Erance 
and Italy, and numberless requisites and necessaries 
from other parts of the world ; whilst they export from 
Beyrout silk reeled in the many factories situated in the 
immediate neighbourhood and on Lebanon, grain from 
the interior, wool, of which some portion is contributed 
from my native village, and lately an enterprising 
American has carried off ship-loads of our Beyrout and 
Syrian olive oil, timber, nuts, and specimens of dried 
and preserved fruits. The population is rapidly increas- 
ing, the wealth augmenting, new firms are being es- 
tablished, fresh channels of commerce discovered, houses 
being built, gardens enclosed, grounds purchased and 
planted, till the once quiet, secluded, and almost deso- 
late-looking Beyrout, many of whose decayed and 
dilapidated ruins crumbled into dust under the severe 
shocks of the great earthquake of 1821, has been rapidly 
metamorphosed into a pleasant and flourishing town, re- 
plete with handsome buildings and luxuriant gardens, 
presenting, as viewed from the sea, one of the hand- 
somest marine pictures possible for the pencil of the 
painter to depict, or the lay of the poet to celebrate. 



52 



THE THISTLE AND 



Please God, I hope yet to see the day when much 
loved Beyrout shall rival and surpass in every sense 
Smyrna, and even Stamboul. I often hear people in 
England talking about the beautiful azure skies of 
sunny Italy, and sighing for her shores ; but I doubt 
very much if any part of the world can surpass some 
portions of Syria for climate or for beauty of scenery of 
every description. Those who are fond of romantic and 
wild scenery, have only to travel over the Lattakia 
mountains to gratify their tastes and inclinations. The 
quiet woodbine, the pleasant myrtle-shade, the jessa- 
mine and the rose, the murmuring stream and the 
lovely cot ; these are to be met with all over Lebanon 
and North Syria — nature, in all her variety, collected 
together — hills, valleys, rivers, fountains — gardens, 
ocean — snow and sunshine ; all these may be included 
in one prospect surveyed from any of the many emi- 
nences in the immediate neighbourhood of Beyrout. 
As for cloudless skies, all Syria possesses this charm, 
and it has none of the drawbacks that Italy must 
lament — no Popish thraldom — no revolutionary crisis 
always on the eve of exploding, and always stained 
with innocent blood. The land, it is true, is the land 
of the Moslem ; but the present enlightened Sultan has 
made it a land of perfect liberty to the stranger ; and 
more than this, a land in which he enjoys privileges 
that he cannot hope for in his own native country. 

Beyrout is the spot for many reasons best adapted 
for missionary purposes; and I have long wished for the 
day when I may be enabled to lay before intelligent 
Englishmen a certain means of promoting the interests, 
both spiritual and temporal, of their eastern brethren with 
little pains-taking or trouble to themselves, but with in- 
calculable advantages to those whom they would benefit. 



THE CEDAR 0E LEBANON. 



53 



Of this, however, more anon, in a chapter devoted ex- 
pressly to the subject. 

A great advantage derivable to Europeans settling at 
Beyrout is the immediate proximity of the Lebanon 
range of mountains ; for, though reputed an excellent 
climate, Beyrout is subjected to great heats during the 
summer season, and it not unfrequently occurs that 
reckless strangers unnecessarily expose themselves to 
the fierce rays of the sun with nothing but a fiimsy hat 
to protect their heads. The result is brain-fever and 
sometimes death. The latter is very unfairly attributed 
to the climate. One might as well say the same of 
London, where several instances of coup de soleil have 
occurred during the past year; but as some consti- 
tutions cannot stand heat, however well sheltered in- 
doors, these have only to pitch their tents, or to repair 
to a neighbouring village during the summer, a pleasant 
half-hour or hour's ride from Beyrout. Here they may 
choose their own temperature, and not only this, but 
also gratify their own peculiar fancy with regard to 
scenery ; and those who love field- sports will find 
endless amusement and occupation amongst the hares 
and partridges with which the neighbourhood is literally 
overrun. 

But the real fact of the case is, that the climate of 
Beyrout is extremely healthy, in proof of which I quote 
the general health of the natives and of those Europeans 
who have resided there long enough to adapt themselves 
to the customs of the country ; who eat but little meat 
during the hot months, eschew spirits and inebriating 
liquors, avoid violent exercise or exposure to draughts 
and the broiling mid-day sun; rise early, use frequent 
ablutions, take gentle horse exercise, and only use fresh 
and ripe fruit and good vegetables. Even fish is considered 



54 



THE THISTLE AND 



by the natives as tantamount to poison during the months 
of July and August; and surely nature is bountiful 
enough in the supply of an endless variety of delicious 
fruits and vegetables to enable one to subsist without 
much heavy and unwholesome meat. Of the benefits 
arising from this diet and regimen, the robust natives 
of the villages give ample proof ; their every-day meals 
consist principally of bread, fruit, vegetables, rice or 
burghal, and cold water; with a little cup of coffee 
and a pipe of mild tobacco after meals to promote 
digestion. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



55 



CHAPTER V. 

EXCURSION TO CYPRUS. 

Quitting my kind friends the Americans in 1836, I 
was appointed by the Government to accompany a 
distinguished European, travelling' on a diplomatic 
mission through the East. He was an affable, kind 
man, and though I have often since made the tour of 
the places we then visited, I never so much enjoyed a 
journey as in his pleasant and instructive company. 
Our plan of ronte was to first visit Cyprus and Asia 
Minor, then the northern towns and villages of Syria, 
and so travel southwards as far as the limits of Syria 
and Palestine. All things being prepared, we set sail 
from Beyront late one evening in a small felucca, 
which, nevertheless, in fine weather, sailed remarkably 
well ; and, upon the whole, we were pretty comfortable 
on board, the entire use of the boat, to the exclusion of 
other passengers, having been contracted for. 

The land breeze blew freshly all night, and at day- 
light next morning, when I staggered up, holding fast 
by the cords of the mast, there was not a vestige of 
Beyront to be seen; indeed my inexperienced eyes 
could discern nothing but sea and clouds, though the 
Arab rais positively affirmed, that what I mistook for 
clouds was the high land of Cyprus, looming right 
a-head. This was the first time in my life that I had 
ever found myself so far out at sea. At first the 



56 



THE THISTLE AND 



novelty of the sight, the lovely, cool, blue colour of the 
waves — the azure sky, tinged with a hundred brilliant 
hues, all harbingers of the rising sun — the fish sportively 
bounding into the air — the sea-gulls— the white sails of 
vessels in the distance; all these were a source of 
amusement and speculation for the mind; but when 
the sun rose, and its heat soon drove me to take shelter 
under the lee of the large mainsail — when I had nothing 
to do but to watch the little boat dipping and plunging 
into the water — when the smell of tar, pitch, tobacco- 
smoke, and fried onions, assailed my nostrils; then I 
was fairly and dreadfully sea- sick. 

I wrapped myself up in my kaboot, and only groaned 
out answers to the many kind enquiries made by my 
new friend and the assiduous boat's company. These 
latter became an intolerable nuisance. First would come 
the fat, greasy-looking old rais, with an abominable 
skewer of fried meat and onions in one hand, and a 
nasty, well-mauled piece of bread in the other, " Eat, 
my son," he would say ; " eat these delicious morsels, 
rivalling in flavour and richness the Kababs of Paradise ; 
it will strengthen your heart." A lizard or a toad 
could not have been more nauseous to me than was 
that man at that moment. Throughout the morning it 
was nothing but " Ibn-i, koul, yar Ibn-i Risk Allah" 
(O son, eat, O son Bisk Allah) . The heat grew intense 
towards midday. My European friend was almost as 
great a sufferer as myself. Happily the sea-breeze held 
on, and at eleven p.m. that night our felucca was safely 
moored at Larnaca, the seaport town of Cyprus. 

During our stay at Larnaca we were lodged with the 
English vice-consular agent at that time, a native of 
the island. He was an obliging old man, who did all 
in his power to make our stay agreeable. I was very 



THE CEDAR OE LEBANON. 



57 



much pleased with Larnaca and its hospitable inhabi- 
tants ; though only so short a distance from Beyrout, 
the change was very great. Here there were numerous 
carnages and other vehicles, drawn by horses and oxen; 
and a drive in an open carriage was both a treat and a 
novelty to me. who had never been accustomed to any 
other mode of locomotion than walking or riding on 
horseback. The Greeks and the Eoman Catholics had 
neat churches here, and the loud chiming of the church 
bells on a Sunday was a clear proof that the Christians 
of this island enjoyed more privileges, and mixed more 
freely with the Turks, than their brethren on the main 
land. To such an extraordinary pitch is this neighbourly 
intercourse carried, that they intermarry with each 
other without any distinction of creed : the only part of 
the Turkish dominions where such a license exists. At 
Larnaca the houses were neatly built, and the streets 
cleanly swept : there were many pleasant rides and 
drives about the neighbourhood, but the climate is in- 
salubrious, and peculiarly ill adapted to European con- 
stitutions. The heat in the summer months is beyond 
endurance; and there are many salt-pits and marshes in 
the neighbourhood, which contribute greatly towards 
the snfferings of the inhabitants. I am sorry to say 
that what I saw of the natives, only helped to confirm 
me in those prejudices which exist against them in the 
East. The men are, for the most part, notorious gamb- 
lers and drunkards, and when clrunk or excited, capable 
of any act of ferocity. Besides this, they are possessed 
of all the cunning of a fox, and are such lovers of 
mammon, that for the acquirement of wealth, they would 
be guilty of any dishonesty or treachery, and sacrifice 
even the honor and virtue of then families, at the shrine 
of their household deity — gold. How painful to reflect 
d 5 



58 



THE THISTLE AND 



that so many precious souls are thrown away for the 
want of better teaching and example ; how sad to know 
that they have no opportunity offered them of throwing 
off the heavy yoke of sin, and of bursting the bonds of 
Satan. But their bishops and priests are a wicked set, 
full of conceit and sinful lusts, selling their own souls, 
as well as those confided to their care, for the acquire- 
ment of filthy lucre ; and so long as they encourage the 
vices and dissipations of their flocks as a sure source of 
revenue to themselves (for however great the crime, 
absolution may be purchased, and slight penances im- 
posed to expiate the most heinous sins) ; so long as such 
a sad state of affairs is permitted, there can be no hope 
of any amelioration in their degraded condition. I 
know not what the motives for it may be ; but poor 
Cyprus has, so long as I can remember, been more 
neglected than other parts of the East by the Missionary 
Societies in England and America. This is much to be 
lamented, and may, I hope, soon be remedied. Doubt- 
less, for the first few years, Missionaries would have 
almost insuperable difficulties to contend against ; but, 
with God's blessing, these would gradually disappear. 
The climate, though perhaps unfavourable to their con- 
stitution, would be favourable to their cause, and a 
skilful physician be a boon to an island, where heretofore 
only quacks and charlatans have been within the call of 
suffering humanity. The late Doctor Lilburn has left 
a name behind him in Cyprus still reverenced by the 
poorer and sicklier inhabitants ; his kind urbanity, his 
charity, and attention, to the sufferings of the sick, and 
his skill as a physician, displayed in many extraordinary 
cures, all these contributed to work out for him a fame 
which would have gradually enlarged itself, and pene- 
trated to the remotest corners of the island, had it 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



59 



pleased the Almighty to spare him yet awhile on earth; 
but he died, and we have every hope that his good 
Christian spirit is now reaping an eternal harvest of 
bliss. 

With all the crimes and vices attached to the charac- 
ter of the Cypriote Greeks, they are all staunch ob- 
servers of the outward forms prescribed by the^elders 
of their church. They are rigid observers of fast days, 
and the same man that would hardly hesitate to rob 
you of your life, would rather endure any torments of 
hunger, or any temptation, than break through the pre- 
scribed rules of abstinence. This, in conjunction with 
their frequent attendance at the confessional, clearly 
shews the implicit faith they place in the powers and 
virtues of their priests; and it appears to me that 
this strict command over certain lusts of the flesh 
might, if diverted into a proper channel, redound 
much to their credit, and these very ruffians become 
devoted Christians, when they have once learnt the 
instability of all human hopes, the impotency of 
man's agency to avert a pending destruction, and to 
give all the glory to God, and no portion of it to 
princes or men. 

We visited severally Nicosia, the inland capital of the 
kingdom, Fuma Gosta, and a few other unimportant 
sea-side villages. Nicosia is a very handsomely built 
town, with beautiful gardens, and surrounded with 
strongly built fortifications. The streets are sufficiently 
wide, and for the most part kept in admirable repair ; 
good roads are a rare thing to meet in the East. The 
majlis, or government council, of which the Pasha 
himself is president, is composed of Turks and Greeks ; 
but the greater portion are Greeks. These are the 
wealthiest part of the community, and carry everything 



60 



THE THISTLE AND 



"before them. In some caves attached to the houses of 
the most ancient Greek families, there are large supplies 
of old Cyprus camandarea, upwards of half a century in 
earthern jars. This wine is very expensive, and is only 
used as a luxury or for convalescent invalids. The 
supposed sites of Salami s and Paphos were pointed out 
to us ^in the former place we are told, in the Acts of 
the Apostles, that Paul and Barnabas, who landed in 
Cyprus a.d. 44, preached Christ crucified; here also, 
Barnabas, who is reverenced as the principle Apostle 
and first Bishop of Cyprus, was stoned, being martyred 
by the Jews of Salamis : at Paphos St. Paul struck 
Bar-jesus with blindness, and the pro-consul embraced 
Christianity. The spiritual blindness of the people of 
the whole island is, alas ! more appalling than that mira- 
culous visitation on the blaspheming impostor. During 
our stay in the island, my friend was much occupied 
surveying and sketching, and from seeing him appa- 
rently so much attached to the elegant accomplishments, 
I first acquired a passion for drawing, but he had no 
time to instruct me; I had no means of improving 
myself, and so I was obliged to let the matter rest till a 
favourable opportunity should present itself. 

The prevailing language of the island is Greek — 
Turkish is also spoken, but Arabic is almost unknown 
in the interior ; a strange circumstance, considering the 
proximity of Cyprus to the Syrian coast. 

After a month's ramble in the island, we hired a 
native boat at Cyprus, and sailed over to Cilieia, a 
voyage which we were three days in accomplishing, 
owing to the then prevalent light winds and calms. 
Mersine, the seaport of Tarshish, or Tersous, the birth- 
place of St. Paul, and once a city of no mean repute, is 
a miserable little village consisting of some half a 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



61 



hundred huts, inhabited by fever-stricken, flea-bitten 
fellahs. There are many pleasant orange groves and 
citron walks in the village ; and the water and shade, 
and verdure, form a picture of ease, and health, and 
comfort, that but ill accords with the really pestilential 
atmosphere of the neighbourhood. Small and un- 
important as Mersine is in itself, it is of considerable 
importance to the commerce of Asia Minor, as being 
the nearest seaport to Tersous and Adana, whose mer- 
chants ship annually large quantities of linseed, wool, 
sessame, and cotton, the produce of the vast plains and 
valleys on either side of the Taurus range of mountains. 
From Mersine to Tersous is a distance of about four 
hours' easy riding. We left Mersine the morning after 
our arrival an hour before sunrise, so that we reached 
our destination before the sun had waxed overpoweringly 
hot, or the horse-flies had become annoying. The 
beauty of the plains we rode over, their fertility and 
variegated aspect, and the whole scenery around us, 
is scarcely surpassed in any part of the world that I 
have visited, before or since. Troops of swift gazelles, 
and hares innumerable passed our track as we crossed 
the plains of Adana; whilst the surrounding bushes 
abounded with partridges, quails, and such like game ; 
the marshes and lakes were literally teeming with 
water-fowl, from the majestic swan to the insignifi- 
cant sandpiper and water-rail; foxes were plentiful, and 
so were jackals and hyenas ; and the high range of 
mountains that encompasses the plain on all sides, save 
that which faces the sea, was plentifully stocked with 
chetahs, leopards, and other equally undesirable neigh- 
bours. The further we rode the higher the elevation of 
the ground became, and the land was well laid out in 
cultivation. Finally, we reached the really picturesque 



62 



THE THISTLE AND 



and vast gardens on the outskirts of the town, where 
we met occasional donkey-loads of the choicest frnits 
and vegetables. Heaps of encumbers and lettuces 
were piled up near the garden-gates ready for trans- 
portation to the market, and the passers-by coolly 
helped themselves to some without any interference 
on the part of the owners or gardeners, so super- 
abundantly does nature there produce her choicest 
gifts. 

Tersous is in some parts handsomely built, in others it 
was disfigured by wretched hovels, whilst masses of 
putrifying vegetable and animal matter were all that 
met the eye or assailed the nostril. The inhabitants 
seemed equally distinct from each other. The 
occupants of the better sort of houses were stout, 
robust, and healthy -looking fellows, who lived upon the 
fat of the land and inhabited Tersous only during winter 
and a portion of autumn and spring, decamping with 
their families to the lofty and salubrious climates of 
Kulek Bughaz, and other pleasantly situated villages of 
the Taurus, as soon as the much-dreaded summer 
drew nigh. The inmates of the miserable hovels were, 
on the contrary, perfect personifications of misery and 
despair — sickly-looking, unfortunate Fellahin Chris- 
tians and Jews, who must work, aud work hard too, to 
enable them to inhabit any home however humble, and 
are consequently tied down to the place hot weather 
or cold, martyrs to fevers, dropsy, and a few other 
like horrible complaints common to Tersous at all times 
of the year, but raging to a fearful extent dining the 
months of June, July and August. The fevers are 
occasioned partly from the miasma arising from the 
marshes in the neighbourhood and the many stagnant 
pools and gutters in the town itself, but chiefly from 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



63 



tlie frightful exhalations occasioned bv the mounds of 
putrifying camels, cows, oxen, goats, horses, and nmles, 
which annually die off from a murrain raging amongst 
them, and whose carcases are dragged to the outside 
of the city's old walls and there indiscriminately piled 
up in the dry ditches around — a carnival for jackals and 
glutted vultures who are so amply provided for, that 
even they and the packs of savage curs that infest the 
streets of the town, grow dainty in their pickings and 
become worthless scavengers from excess of feasting. 

This is a frightful but faithful picture of the suburbs 
of modern Tersous. The very streets are equally 
neglected; bestrewed with the disgusting remains of 
dogs, cats, and similar nuisances. Indeed, Tersous 
might be aptly termed a mass of corruption ; and yet 
it has not been neglected by bountiful nature. The 
pleasant waters of the famed Cydnus, which murmur 
through the very heart of the town, render its banks 
on either side prolific with orange and lemon trees ; 
the sweet odour from whose blossoms, the fever wasted- 
form, reclining in a pleasant shade on its banks, inhales 
with gusto, but alas ! each breath is impregnated 
with the noxious poisons that float heavily on the 
atmosphere. 

The inhabitants are negligent and careless about 
what most vitally concerns their immediate welfare, 
vainly sweeping out and cleansing their own par- 
ticular court-yards and houses, whilst the streets and 
the suburbs are teeming with the seeds of pestilence, 
and the dark night vapour is bestridden by clireful 
disease and death. In Tersous there was only one 
resident Englishman, and that was the vice-Consul, 
who had come there to die like his predecessors. There 
were no missionaries, not even a Catholic priest, though 



64 



THE THISTLE AND 



plenty of Italian and French Catholics were attached 
to the various consulates, or employed as merchants 
and fishers of leeches. The native inhabitants, in- 
cluding a great many from Cyprus, were of all creeds, 
the greater part being Mahomedans. 

During our stay we were the guests of a hospitable 
native Christian, Signor Michael Saba, a notable mer- 
chant of Tersous; but almost all of those whose ac- 
quaintance I made, are since dead, our worthy host 
among the rest. He, poor man, fell a victim to a 
virulent fever, that swept away hundreds besides himself, 
within the space of a fortnight. Sad indeed is the 
change for the worse in the Tersous of the present day, 
to what that town must have been in the primitive days 
of the Christian church, when it boasted of its wealth 
and commerce, and sent forth to the world such accom- 
plished men as the great Apostle St. Paul, who, speak- 
ing of his native home, could call it A city of no mean 
repute in Cilicia. Our stay in Tersous did not exceed 
the time absolutely necessary for the completion of my 
friend's drawings and surveys ; and then, nothing loth, 
we turned our backs upon the place, crossing the large 
handsome bridge built over the river, and so speeded on 
towards Adana. The country lying between Tersous 
and Adana, was very similar to that which we had 
traversed between Mersine and the former place, a flat 
country imperceptibly rising as we advanced. Most of 
this country was more or less cultivated; and we passed 
countless Turcoman encampments forming large villages, 
the whole of whose population was almost exclusively 
occupied in making those carpets for which they are so 
much renowned. The great brilliancy of color and 
duration of these carpets have acquired for them a very 
just celebrity. The Turcoman dyes, brilliant yellow, 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



65 



green, and purple (the latter possibly the celebrated 
Tyrian dye, now lost to the world); are a secret, for the 
possession of a knowledge of which, the princely Man- 
chester manufacturers would, I imagine, willingly loosen 
their purse-strings ; but no one in the East has hitherto 
been possessed of sufficient energy and patient inqui- 
sitiveness to coax this secret from the breasts of these 
wild sons of the wilderness. En route we passed many 
old wells which supplied these people and their flocks 
with water during the summer months. At some of 
these wells we stopped and begged water for ourselves 
and horses, which was cheerfully supplied by pretty 
maidens, who, like Rebecca of old, had come to the 
well to supply their father's flocks with water. 

The town of Adana is of very unprepossessing appear- 
ance; its houses being very inferior, both in appearance 
and dimensions, to those of Tersous. They have, how- 
ever, the advantage of being in a much healthier situa- 
tion, though, owing to the inconvenient system of 
excluding windows, which might overlook the neigh- 
bours' court-yards, the houses are insufferably close 
dining the hot months, and have more the resemblance 
of miserable prisons, with well-secured doors, than of 
dwelling-houses. The Turks, who are seldom at home 
during the day, suffer very little inconvenience from the 
fact above alluded to. They, for the most part, have 
their little shops on either side of the prodigiously long- 
street that constitutes Adana ; and as these are covered 
in with thatch-work, and are moreover carefully watered 
by public water-carriers several times a day, the Dukkans 
afford a desirable retreat from the mid-day heat. If 
then wives and families suffer inconvenience from 
the sultry closeness of the weather, they are at liberty 
to lock then doors and resort to any among the number 



66 



THE THISTLE AND 



of pleasant gardens that embellish the suburbs of the 
town, there to make far ah, and enjoy themselves till the 
hour arrives when the Dukkans are closed for the night, 
and the master of the house is expected home ; then all 
scamper back to receive the hungry Moslems, and if 
their dinner be not cooked or be displeasing to their 
taste, to receive in addition a few lashes of the corbash, 
in the use of which they are pretty well skilled in 
Adana. 

The inhabitants are chiefly Moslems-—- the most in- 
tolerably bigoted and ignorantly proud people to be 
met with in the whole of the Sultan's dominions. No 
Christian dares to encroach upon their quarter of the 
town, which is, in fact, the whole of the town ; for the 
houses of the Christians and Fellahs are scattered 
around its suburbs, and are in general miserable, mean- 
looking hovels, tenanted by a wretchedly poverty- 
stricken people. Though Adana is the head-quarters 
of the Pasha of that Pashalik, no Europeans, consuls or 
merchants, reside in the place, from which fact alone 
arises the unbearable hauteur of the Turks of Adana, 
who are unaccustomed to mingle with more civilised 
people, or to bend to the yoke which the rules of official 
etiquette demand and obtain. 

Adana has often been the theatre of frightful con- 
vulsions and rebellions. The supreme power of the 
Sublime Porte has been on more than one occasion set 
at defiance, and though the results have been terrible, 
and the honour of the sultan been vindicated in blood, 
time has worn off the impression, and rising gene- 
rations have continued to grow up in insolence and 
insubordination, till the natives are so void of civility 
to the stranger, that, as a recent author truthfully 
observes, " it was difficult for any European to traverse 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



67 



the bazars, especially that part allotted to shoe-makers, 
without being disgustingly abused, and even spit at." 
In all other parts, the residence of the Pasha is usually 
fixed upon as the residence of the consuls and consular 
agents ; as, for instance, Damascus, J erusalem, and 
Aleppo, the presence of European authorities being 
always a wholesome check upon the natives, who have 
an innate fear of them, which, notwithstanding their 
deadly hate and bigotry, they are compelled to acknow- 
ledge by civil words and acts ; and if there is one thing 
that they fear more than another, it is the facility with 
which Europeans use their pens. " I will write to 
Stamboul," is a terrible sentence to the conscience- 
smitten official. In it he pictures to his imagination 
an endless array of evils; first, the certainty of answers; 
then his being involved in a difficult correspondence, 
which is almost sure to terminate, if he does not speedily 
amend, in his recall, and possibly still more severe 
punishment. 

Adana had few inducements to hold out to us for 
remaining. The pasha's beautiful serrai was the 
only object worthy of attention. This had been 
handsomely constructed, and was picturesquely situated 
on the banks of that rapid stream which flows through 
Tersous. Here also was a bridge of very handsome 
structure, and apparently of very ancient date. The 
river itself was enlivened by a number of floating flour- 
mills, the rapid motion of whose wheels threw showers 
of clear water high up into the air, and gave a busy 
and stirring appearance to the, in all other respects, 
dull and monotonous town. 

We ventured as far north as Kulek Bughaz — that 
impregnable mountain-pass which Ibrahim Pasha so 
strongly fortified, and which modern travellers state, is 



68 



THE THISTLE AND 



now in a ruinous condition. Having, from this great 
elevation, taken a survey of the immense extent of 
plains both on the Konia and Adana side, we hastened 
to descend again, since the mountains were infested 
with lawless Banditti, and the whole country around 
was in a very unsettled state, owing to recent warlike 
demonstrations between Mehemet Ali Pasha and the 
Sublime Porte. 

Reaching the plains, we once more skirted the river, 
till we arrived at a pathway, that led us, after two days' 
weary journey ings, to the village of Ayas, on the 
northern side of the Gulf of Scanderoon; thus avoid- 
ing a passage through the territories of the descendants 
of that notorious robber-chief, Kuchuk Ali Oglu, whose 
infamous name had spread terror far and wide through- 
out the Ottoman dominions. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



69 



CHAPTER VI. 

ALEPPO. 

Hiring an Arab boat at Ay as, we crossed over the 
Gulf of Scanderoon, passing close to the lagoons near 
Ayas, which are very dangerous for navigation, but 
abounding in fine turtle, such as would meet with a 
ready and profitable market in London. We landed at 
Scanderoon, a wretched and deserted village surrounded 
with pestiferous marshes on all sides. The fever was 
at that period prevalent, so that our stay was limited 
to a few hours, during which brief interval horses 
were engaged to carry us to Antioch, and we partook 
of some slight refreshment at the residence of my friend 
Suleiman Bey. 

Leaving Scanderoon, or Alesandretta as it is also 
called, we rode for upwards of an hour through marshes, 
and hot, humid, unhealthy ground, till arriving at the 
foot of the Beilan mountains, we commenced their 
rather abrupt ascent, and after half an hour's scrambling 
and hard work, reached an elevation from which we 
caught an uninterrupted view of the sea for many 
miles on either side, and so pushing forward, in three 
hours we reached the picturesque, but poverty-stricken 
village of Beilan, which is situated on either side of 
a high mountain gorge, and is one of those natural 



70 



THE THISTLE AND 



barriers which, like Kulek Bughaz, afforded a stronghold 
in times of disturbance and war to several rebel chiefs, 
who from these fortresses set at defiance the invading 
armies from the neighbouring plains : but since the 
death of Kuchuk Ali Oglu, who so long reigned in 
terror em over the peaceful inhabitants of the plains, 
this class of people have been entirely exterminated; 
and Beilan being on the highway from Constantinople 
to Aleppo, is now inhabited by a civilised though very 
poor class of Turks and Armenians, whose constant 
intercourse with Europeans and other merchants has 
tamed them into honesty, and taught them to respect 
and fear the prowess of all European nations, more 
especially the English, of whose fleets they have some- 
times caught sight when cruizing about the Gulf, and 
the roar of whose cannon, echoing from mountain to 
dell, whispered to them not mildly of the power and 
valour of that surprising nation. 

Erom Beilan to Aleppo our journey occupied two 
days and a half, and as we travelled with our own 
tents, etc., we were entirely independant of such wretched 
accommodation as is usually afforded to travellers in 
the villages. Aleppo had much the appearance of 
Damascus when viewed from the distance. The bright 
foliage of the trees dotted with occasional domes and 
terraces — the lofty minarets, and the picturesque hill 
and castle in the centre, all contributed to render the 
tableau complete ; besides which, around as far as the 
eye could stretch, the barren and desolate appear- 
ance of the mountains made Aleppo stand forth a 
perfect Oasis in a wilderness. On our arrival we were 
lodged at the Latin convent, but shortly afterwards 
removed to hired apartments in Jedida, the Christian 
quarter of the town, where I had the pleasure of 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



71 



forming the acquaintance of several wealthy native 
families. 

The Aleppines are with truth styled polished; they 
are innately gentlemen and ladies, from the highest 
to the lowest; the graceful walk — the well-bred salu- 
tation — in short, the whole deportment is such as 
would well, become, and even grace, an English aris- 
tocratic re-union. During our stay, Signor Fatallah, 
a wealthy neighbour, who was likewise proprietor of 
a silk manufactory, married his son to the daughter 
of an opulent fellow- townsman ; preparations on a 
grand scale had long been going forward, and, amongst 
a vast concourse of friends and acquaintances in- 
vited to celebrate the nuptials, we also were in- 
cluded. The auspicious moment arrived, and we 
proceeded to Fatallah' s house escorted by a band of 
native musicians. On arriving at the residence of 
the bridegroom, we were ushered into a long room 
in which guests were seated from the door to the 
upper part according to their rank in life; the chief 
guests being seated at the head of the divan on either 
side of the master of the house, others were ranged 
lower and lower, the poorest guests were close to the 
doorway, and one or two so poor that they did not 
even aspire to a place on the divan, but squatted 
themselves cross-legged on the ground. On the arrival 
of a fresh guest the master of the house would rise and 
come forward to receive him ; and if, as happened on 
some occasions, the guest from mock humility would 
seat himself in a position lower than what his actual 
rank of precedence entitled him to, an absurd scuffle 
would ensue, in which the master of the house would 
endeavour to drag the other higher up into the room, 
and the guest with many " Stafer Allans" (God forbid) 



72 



THE THISTLE AND 



and many false protestations, would pretend reluctantly 
to yield to the distinction preferred hiin, and so gain 
honour in the sight of the assembled multitude. Such 
scenes brought vividly to my mind our Lord's parable 
about the meek being exalted ; and rendered it clearly 
evident that this etiquette, so strictly adhered to by the 
natives of all Syria to this present hour, existed in the 
time of the Redeemer, and has been practised frorn the 
Patriarchs downwards. The very costume — the method 
of salutation — the seats arranged methodically for the 
guests, all helped to contribute not a little in forcibly 
recalling to mind several portions of Scripture often 
read with pleasure in my childhood. 

After we had arrived and taken our seats, the musi- 
cians struck up some popular and lively Arabic air 
familiar to the ears of us Syrians, as connected with 
many pleasant recollections of like spectacles and oc- 
casions. Numberless servants were busily occupied in 
handing to the guests sherbet, pipes, narghilies, and a 
large assortment of candied and other sweetmeats. As 
the visitors continued rapidly arriving they were sprinkled 
by the bridesman with essences, and the scene in the 
court-yard outside the reception-room, assumed a more 
animated appearance. Groups of young men in gaily- 
coloured and picturesque coats, were seated in circles 
each separate circle possessing a kdnuii player of its own, 
emulous to surpass the notes of his neighbour. Occa- 
sionally one or two men from each circle would stand 
up and go through the wild but elegant figures of the 
Bedouin dances, whilst groups of pretty and timid 
girls, collected in knots round the walls of the house, 
watched with the deepest interest the wrestling matches 
of their lovers or brothers, and joined loudly in the 
plaudits which crowned a successful competitor with the 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



73 



full-blown honours of championship. As the evening 
advanced, their hilarity increased ; strings of servants 
with heavily-laden trays were seen occasionally crossing 
the court-yard, bringing quantities of confectionery and 
other gifts of the friends and relations of the bridegroom, 
for it is always expected that every one invited will 
contribute in some small way to set up the young 
couple in life. To this intent the presents comprise all 
sorts of articles, such as coffee, sugar, live fowls, wheat, 
handkerchiefs, caps, scarfs, sweetmeats, tobacco, etc. 
Every one gives his mite; it costs the donor only a 
trifle, but in the mass very materially assists the newly 
married pair. This custom of friends sending presents 
is also adopted upon the accouchement of a lady ; her 
friends, the ensuing week, send her various small presents 
on trays, such as a couple of roasted chickens, or some 
delicate tit-bit, well suited to the palate of an invalid. 
These small civilities are productive of much good will, 
and really cost nothing, but I wonder what any fashion- 
able lady in London would say, if a friend, under similar 
circumstances, volunteered to send her a dish of roast 
fowls. I understand that among the middle and lower 
classes in England such presents are not unfrequent, 
though generally in cases not entirely above the reach 
of want; whereas, with us in Syria, the custom is 
observed by all classes alike, as a mark of regard and 
delicate attention. 

But to return to the gay nuptials of our friend; 
Eatallah's son, the bridegroom, was nowhere visible, 
neither were there any signs of the fair bride or her 
attendant nymphs. Towards evening, however, the 
Greek bishop, marshalled in by three or four priests, 
made his appearance, and as soon as his reverence had 
been saluted and seated himself, servants appeared 

E 



74 



THE THISTLE AND 



with diminutive round tables, which they set before the 
guests, and covering them with heavily-laden trays, 
removed the napkins, and displayed to the hungry 
multitude the very choice collection of viands that had 
been cooked for the nuptial dinner. 

Richly flavoured soups, aromatic dishes of minced 
meat, gravies and numerous other delicacies, both sweet 
and sour, were all plentifully supplied ; the first course 
consisting chiefly of light dishes, in which vegetables and 
curdled cream figured in abundance ; the second, com- 
prising various kinds of meat ; the whole repast termi- 
nating with one vast pillaf, and kids and lambs roasted 
whole, and stuffed with pistachio nuts, currants and spices. 
Before commencing dinner, a small glass of arraki* was 
handed round to the guests ; afterwards, an abundant 
supply of wine of Lebanon was at hand for those who 
wished to partake of it. 

"Whilst this festivity was going forward indoors, those 
- outside were not one whit behind in enjoyment. Sheep, 
cooked whole, were set before the musicians and singers; 
also huge platters of pillaf, which made two men stag- 
ger under their weight. At the conclusion of dinner, 
all the guests were served with basins and ewers of 
water, and very liberally besprinkled with rose and 
orange-flower water. 

During the repast, the bridegroom, who had entered 
the room very meanly clad, was conducted by young 
men, his companions, into an adjoining apartment, and 
there having been shaved and washed, then stripped of 
his beggarly rags, he was clothed in splendid bridal 
attire and led back into the presence of the guests. Here 
he passed round from one to the other, humbly taking 
their hands and kissing them, commencing with the 

* Spirit, made of raisins and aniseed distilled. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



75 



bishops and priests, until he had completed the circle ; 
he then received the blessing ; after which, he was per- 
mitted to seat himself upon a low chair placed in the 
centre of the room, and there, with his head hanging 
down from feelings of bashfulness, the young man 
awaited the arrival of the propitious hour. After some 
little delay, the distant sound of darbekirs and firing oif 
of muskets warned the assembly that the bride had 
quitted her home for the last time, and was now being 
escorted with all the pride of Eastern pomp through the 
streets to the residence of her destined husband. No 
sooner did the shouts and acclamations reach the ears of 
the young men congregated in the court-yards, than 
these, as though inspired by martial music, leapt up 
from the ground, and seizing upon their fire-arms, rushed 
out into the streets, accompanied by drums and other 
instruments, to be in readiness to receive the bride's 
escort, and exchange with them feux dejoie of musketry. 

Some servants of the house now carried into the re- 
ception-room a common low table, which was speedily 
covered with snow-white drapery, and on which were 
placed the bishop's mitre, prayer-books, chalices, cen- 
sers, etc., all to be in readiness for the consecration of 
the nuptials. The bishop and attendant priests were 
speedily arrayed in clerical costumes • two small crowns 
of olive branches richly gilt and decorated with flowers 
were placed upon the table; and these arrangements 
had scarcely been completed, when the bride was 
ushered in by her attendant nymphs, followed by a 
concourse of friends and relations, having previously 
thrown some yeast upon the outer door of the house, 
and broken a pomegranate over it. 

The bride was covered from head to foot in a long, 
loose veil, white as snow ; but of sufficiently thin tex- 
ture to admit of her features being partly distinguish- 



76 



THE THISTLE AND 



able, and to show that over her under garments, which 
were composed of richly embroidered silks and satins, 
she was literally bespangled with costly gems; large 
festoons of gold coins encircling her head, and falling 
over her shoulders, reached to the ground. 

The priests now lighted the candles placed on the 
temporary altar*; deacons with censers in their hands 
went the round of the room, sprinkling benedictions on 
all around ; the bride and bridegroom were duly ar- 
ranged before the bishops and priests — a bridesman and 
a bridesmaid stood behind, their right hands resting on 
the crowns which had now been placed on the heads of 
the young couple about to be married; the chaunt 
commenced, and the serious part of the ceremony be- 
gan. As the nuptials progressed, the bridegroom and 
bride three times exchanged crowns; then the rings 
were placed upon the fingers of both, and the bishop 
made them drink out of the same cup of wine ; once 
did they make the circuit of the altar-table; and 
then amidst a shower of small silver coins, confectionary, 
and flowers, which fell like heavy rain all around, the 
bishop gave his blessing; and the young couple were 
bound by indissoluble ties from that moment forward, 
throughout life, as man and wife. The bride was shortly 
after led away into an antechamber, where she was 
partly relieved of her many cumbrous veils, and where 
such of the friends of the family as desired, had a fair 
opportunity of admiring her pretty face. She then 
stepped forth and kissed the hands of male intruders, 
in token of her humble submission to one of their sex 
from that day forward. f 

* Every marriage-guest brings a candle, which he is obliged 
to light. 

t Sometimes the marriage ceremony is performed at home, 
sometimes in the church. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



77 



The latter part of the evening was passed much in 
the same way as the earlier part of the day had been ; 
with music, songs, and dancing. VjHiat added much to 
the general effect, was the numerous variegated lamps 
and brilliant torches, that cast a light upon and added 
greatly to the picturesque effect of the various costumes ; 
for by this time many of the European residents 
were present, in some instances accompanied by their 
ladies, and some of the military and other officers in 
the government service, dressed in their respective 
uniforms. It was near upon midnight when we with- 
drew, but the festivities were kept up till daybreak ; 
and then the wedding-feast terminated, the gaieties of 
which had been sustained with hardly any intermis- 
sion throughout the three preceding days. 

Such is the general custom amongst our people; 
and even the poorest man on such joyful occasions, as 
they occur only once in a lifetime, will spend his last 
piastre in endeavours to make the nuptial ceremony as 
brilliant an affair as he can. When a widower or widow 
is married, all these rejoicings are abandoned — the sim- 
ple nuptial ceremony, in the presence of a few relatives, 
is all that is expected, or in fact deemed decorous ; and 
this arises from a very honorable notion, that the 
memory of a deceased partner should be held in religious 
esteem ; so as to prevent the outraging the feelings of 
their relatives upon the occasion of entering a second 
time into that estate of conjugal blessedness, by any 
display or great rejoicing: indeed a man or a woman is 
supposed to marry a second time purely from motives of 
mutual advantage ; to be a helpmate to each other, 
especially in the case of a man having had a family by 
his first wife, in which case, the children are often un- 
avoidably neglected, as the husband's occupations 



78 



THE THTSTLE AXD 



preclude the possibility of his devoting much time or 
thought to their welfare. A stepmother in Syria is not 
a proverb of harshness j stepmothers in that country, 
in direct contrariety to what is believed to be the case 
in Europe, are affectionate and kind to their step-chil- 
dren, and even in such rare instances as that of a man 
marrying again, when his first wife's children are al- 
ready nearly grown up, even then perfect harmony 
reigns between the different members of the family ; 
for filial respect is so powerfully inculcated in a young 
Syrian's breast, that however young the stepmother 
may be, she is always looked up to and respected as the 
wife of a father ; and with regard to the wife herself, 
the rule acts the same, only vice versa, the children are 
regarded as the children of her husband; and however 
many children a second wife may have, the first one's 
always claim the precedence. It is indispensable 
amongst all Syrian families that every member should 
know and keep his or her respective place, and quarrels 
on this score are seldom, if ever, known. 

We remained long enough in Aleppo to become 
familiar with all its quarters, Christian, Jewish, and 
European ; the latter reside principally at Kittab, a 
pleasant little hamlet of neatly constructed houses, 
which dates after the period of the shocking earthquake 
in 18.22 — an event which so alarmed the populace 
that for many weeks afterwards they thought themselves 
insecure within the walls of the city, many of the 
massive houses, though built upon arches, having 
given way, carrying eveiything before them, and 
crushing alike inmates and passers-by in the streets. 
Aleppo is perhaps the most fashionable town in the 
East, not even excepting Damascus. The fashions 
change there as often almost as they do in Paris, and 



THE CEDAR OE LEBANON. 



79 



all the young ladies are as particular about their dress 
as the more aristocratic belles in the North ; the 
result of all this is that an Aleppine lady proves 
usually an expensive wife; but I must acknowledge 
that their extreme neatness, the snowy-white veils, 
and gaily-coloured tunics, add much to the picturesque 
appearance of the gardens on festive days, when the 
whole population throngs these favourite places of 
resort as much for air and exercise as from a wish to 
shew themselves, as it is only on this day many of 
them have an opportunity of escaping from the 
narrow and confined streets of the city. 

"Shamoi al Hawa," is a favourite expression of 
Aleppines, for they dearly love the open country and 
delight to rove amongst trees and nowers; Aleppo is 
a country I should have great hopes for with regard 
to the success of missionary labour. The Aleppines are 
too courteous to mock at or hold in derisiou the tenets 
of any man, or to interrupt a man when he speaks, nor 
indeed to listen inattentively. Many amongst them 
are naturally intelligent : and did any schools or insti- 
tutions exist from which their families might derive 
any clear and indisputable benefit — education for their 
children — instruction in any arts or sciences — physic 
and medical attendance for the sick and poverty- 
stricken (they are by no means an ungrateful people), 
their attention would most assuredly be arrested by 
such attentions to their own and their townsmens 3 
wants, and they would be brought to reflect that such 
kind benefactors must be trustworthy people, and 
people that love truth. 

The last Report of the British and Foreign Bible 
Society gives the population of Aleppo to be 90,000 
souls, of which number 19,000 are said to be Christians 



80 



THE THISTLE AND 



of various denominations, and yet there was only one 
Protestant missionary on the spot; the Rev. Mr. Benton 
having been obliged to revisit America for the benefit 
of his health. When it is considered that at Antab, a 
considerable town only a day distant from Aleppo, the 
efforts of a single missionary, the Rev. Dr. Smith, of 
the American mission, have been crowned with un- 
precedented success, and that chiefly amongst the 
Armenians, of whom there are also numbers established 
in Aleppo, it cannot but be regretted that so favourable 
a field should be neglected. The fact of this missionary 
being also a physician is another proof in support of 
what I shall endeavour to prove in a subsequent 
chapter, namely, the advantages derivable from the 
wide establishment of Medical Missions, a subject 
which I trust, under the Almighty blessing, will attract 
the attention of the Protestant inhabitants of Great 
Britain. 

Few towns in the East can rival Aleppo in a com- 
mercial sense. Every resident is more or less of a 
speculator; and thousands have lost and gained a fortune 
in the failures or successes of mercantile speculations. 
Even the women are imbued with this spirit of enter- 
prise; and the female broker is no inconsiderable 
person in a merchant's appreciation. She penetrates 
into the restricted precincts of the harem, and displays, 
to the admiring gaze of its fair secluded inmates, 
jewels and tinselled fineries, such as would barely 
merit a moment's pause or attention in the over-crowded 
bazaars, but when presented by themselves prove an 
inducement to purchase ; and this is a means of no small 
profit, above all to the poorer class of speculators who 
are obliged to restrict their purchases to their very 
limited means. Even children hawk about minor 



THE CEDAR OF LEEAXOX. 



81 



commodities, and little urchins who have barely a rag 
to cover their nudity, Trill offer to the stranger carefully 
hoarded up bits of glass and old coins picked up in 
some of the most deserted and ruinous portions of the 
city, hoping that amongst them a valuable antique may 
invite his attention. 

We left Aleppo after a prolonged stay, and mounting 
our horses joined a caravan loaded with produce for the 
supply of the Antioch market. The first few hours, 
after leaving Aleppo, our road lay over a rocky path- 
way difficult to ride over, bleak and monotonous in 
the extreme ; but soon the glorious plains of the Amuk 
spreading before us as far as the eye could reach, 
burst like a splendid panorama on our gaze. We 
rapidly descended to then level, and the remainder of 
our first day's journeying was over a flat country, 
whose natural prolific soil, interspersed, as it was at 
short distances, with small tributary streams, would 
have been a sight to gladden the heart of any emi- 
grant who should seek for rich pasturages for his cattle 
— abundant harvest of wheat and barley — rich orchards 
and valuable plantations. 

All these doubtless once existed at a time when 
the ruined cities, portions of whose past grandeur 
still remain to gratify the curious antiquarian, were in 
their zenith ; indeed tradition reports the whole of this 
extensive plain (which it took us two days' hard riding 
to traverse), at its narrowest breadth, to have been once 
an extensive forest, in some parts almost impenetrable. 
Now there is barely a tree to be seen, immense pas- 
turages and fields stretch on every side, and numbers of 
horses, cattle, and sheep, browse on the luxuriant herbage. 
We arrived on the third day at the Gessir il Haded, or 
iron bridge, where we first crossed the Orontes, and 

e 5 



82 



THE THISTLE AND 



after skirting the river for a few minutes, struck off on 
a wide pathway leading over a mountainous country, 
richly dotted with trees, and verdant with wild thyme 
and lavender. Small herds of gazelles, startled from 
their resting-places by the echo of our horses' tramp, 
darted across our pathway, and sought refuge on the 
further side of the many lofty hills that now surrounded 
us. The Orontes, in its meandering course, occasionally 
took a sweep and glided close under our elevated path- 
way ; by and bye we closed in with the river ; myriads 
of water-fowl and other game flew over our heads. 
There was a stately old ruined castle, on a bleak isolated 
hill; we passed under its deserted battlements, and in 
ten minutes afterwards were riding through the streets 
of the once famed city of Antioch. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



83 



chapter, vrr. 

ANTIOCH AND LATTAKIA. 

In Antioch our stay was, much, to our regret, compara- 
tively short; for who would willingly quit so fair a 
spot — a perfect Paradise, and rich in the fairest gifts of 
nature ? A healthy climate, a cloudless sky, luxuriant 
fruits and flowers, meadows and pasturages, high hills 
and valleys ; the mountain and the plain bespangled with 
trees, the wild myrtle and other fragrant shrubs, inter- 
sected by a glorious river ; the earth producing nourish- 
ment for droves upon droves of cattle, and domestic as 
well as wild fowl ; the river abounding in eels, and the 
distant sea furnishing delicious fish of fifty varieties. 
What more could mortal man on earth desire? All 
these can Antioch boast of, besides the many pleasant 
reminiscences connected with the spot. Its primitive 
Christian Church, the great success that crowned the 
early efforts of those two devout and indefatigable 
apostles, Paul and Barnabas ; — the city, the birth- 
place of St. Luke, the beloved physician, where ori- 
ginated the name of that faith, which is our pride, our 
boast, and the source of all our hope; these are ties 
which render Antioch, in the devout Christian's estima- 
tion, second only to Jerusalem. When we were at Antioch 
many parts of the once famous walls of the city were 
still in perfect condition, a wonderful proof of the 
skill and persevering labours of those brave but alas 



84 



THE THISTLE AND 



unsuccessful men who strove permanently to plant the 
cross in the countries where it had first been raised, and 
had once triumphantly flourished. Though through so 
many succeeding generations, the city has been sub- 
jected to every imaginable disaster, fire, invasion, revolt, 
and the terrible effects of violent earthquakes, yet 
nature still smiles upon the surrounding country as 
brightly as ever she shone in the zenith of her city's 
glory. Its palaces and other magnificent buildings, the 
handiwork of mortal man, had, with man, all crumbled 
away to dust. Its millions of inhabitants have dwindled 
down to some few thousands, and in this respect the 
wreck is complete ; but the fairness of the morning, and 
the freshness of the breeze, the beauty of the prospect, 
the flowers, and fruits, and trees, these continue the 
same as in the wealthiest era of the Seleucidse. Man 
and man's triumphant domes are nowhere to be seen; a 
few crazily built houses, and a few straggling inha- 
bitants, are all that now constitute the modern town of 
Antakia. 

Yet, notwithstanding all this, the vast extent of land 
in the neighbourhood of Antioch which is devoted 
solely to the cultivation of mulberry-trees, and the great 
space of still uncultivated ground which might be 
devoted to a like purpose, gives ample assurance that, 
in the one article of silk alone, an immense revenue 
might be derived, and a very large population be main- 
tained in easy, if not affluent, circumstances. As 
matters stand at the present day, the silk produced 
yields no inconsiderable revenue; but the plantations 
are the exclusive property of a few independent pro- 
prietors, who, themselves reaping more than a lion'"s 
share, leave to the great herd of the inhabitants a 
paltry, miserable pittance, which can scarcely find them 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



85 



the very barest necessaries of life, although Antioch is 
acknowledged to be perhaps the cheapest place in the 
known world. 

Whilst at Antioch, we visited the water-mills now 
occupying the site of the once celebrated groves of 
Daphne, and thence returning, took horses and pro- 
ceeded to Suedia over the selfsame ground once familiar 
to Paul and Barnabas, when those two apostles, like 
ourselves, went down to Seleucia to take shipping from 
thence. The whole space intervening between Antioch 
and Suedia, a distance of nearly twenty miles, is oc- 
cupied by luxuriant mulberry plantations and orchards 
of delicious fruit-trees ; fruits that are peculiar to this 
neighbourhood having been introduced and cultivated 
with great care, through a series of many years, by a 
philanthropic English gentleman, who distributed cut- 
tings and grafts throughout the district. 

At Suedia we remained two days, the guests of this 
hospitable gentleman, visiting in that interval — the site 
where stood the pillar of Simeon Stylites, — the delightful 
country seats of Mr. Barker at Bitias and Huderbey, 
and lastly, the splendid ruined tunnel and aqueduct, 
besides other remains of the once wealthy Seleucia. 
This done, we hired an Arab felucca, which, sailing 
out of the Orontes and crossing the Gulf of Antioch in 
the short space of seven hours, carried us over to 
Lattakia, the ancient Laodicea. 

Arrived at Lattakia, we became the guests of the 
hospitable brothers Elias. Signor Mosi Elias is the 
British vice-consul at that port ; and seldom have I had 
the happiness of meeting with a more worthy man ; but, 
in fact, the whole of his family are distinguished for 
their great courtesy and hospitality to all strangers. 
This eulogy may fairly be extended to all the native agents 



86 



THE THISTLE AND 



established along the sea-coast of Syria; although, 
unfortunately, their humble efforts are not always duly 
appreciated. English gentlemen, accustomed to every 
comfort and luxury that wealth can command, little 
imagine the expense and trouble incurred by many of 
the humble Syrian agents in their efforts to afford 
hospitality to British travellers. Receiving no salary, 
and yet compelled to maintain a certain position to 
support the dignity of office, the means in their power 
must necessarily be limited ; but as far as house-room 
goes — a bed, a dinner, breakfast, and supper, according 
to their limited means; these are always cheerfully 
offered to the traveller ; and the poor consular agent, 
who has almost insuperable difficulties to contend with, 
so as to enable him to impress the local authorities with 
a due sense of the importance and respectability of his 
office, is glad to avail himself of the opportunity of hav- 
ing an Englishman as guest under his roof, to convince 
the neighbours and his fellow-townsmen of his influence 
with the British. I have known instances where a poor 
consular agent has even parted with some valuable 
family relic, so as to enable him to afford a hearty wel- 
come to some Englishman of distinction; while, per- 
haps, the only return he has met with, was, to be treated 
with supreme contempt and derision, even to his face; 
or to have his name bandied about to the world in some 
gaudily bound book of travels, in which authors have 
seen fit to make sport of men, who, in all probability, 
sacrificed a night's rest and comfort to contribute both 
towards them in a strange land. 

While on this subject, I may record one instance 
which came to my knowledge, and which was really too 
scandalous not to be made known. 

A party of travellers, for I cannot style them gentle- 



THE CEDAR OE LEBANON. 



87 



men, five or six in number, were travelling through Syria 
and Palestine, accompanied by a retinue of servants 
with tents, baggage, and every luxury and comfort that 
money could command. Arriving at one of the sea- 
port towns, where dwelt an English agent (a good old 
man, who was a Syrian by birth), they pitched their 
tents outside of the town, and sending their insolent 
dragoman to the agent, informed him that it was their 
intention to remain a couple of days in that neighbour- 
hood, and commanded him to procure them guides to 
shew them over the town and its vicinity, so that 
they might see all that was worth being seen. To 
this, the agent readily assented ; and " on hospitable 
thoughts intent," dressed himself for the occasion, and 
preceded by his cawass went to the travellers' tents to 
pay his respects, and to offer them any little sendees in his 
power. Finding that they required no farther aid, he 
then told them, that although they had placed the pos- 
sibility of being useful to them beyond his reach, he 
trusted that they would not wholly deprive him of the 
pleasure of their company ; and invited them to dine at 
his house at an early hour the next day. This invitation 
the travellers, who had barely treated the old man with 
civility, thought proper to accept, and the next day they 
duly made their appearance. 

Meanwhile, the poor consul, whose stock of crockery 
was rather scant, and whose knives and forks mustered 
but a meagre shew, endeavoured by buying or borrow- 
ing, to make things as tidy and complete as he possibly 
could ; but it often happens, that in such small villages 
as that in which the agent resided, and where European 
vessels seldom resort, European merchandize is very 
rare ; and such a thing as a plated spoon, or a knife 
and fork, is not to be be met with for love or money. 



88 



THE THISTLE AND 



This was precisely the case in the instance before us; 
and the poor agent was put to his wit's end in dis- 
covering that after every effort, his stock of knives 
still fell short of the necessary compliment by a knife. 
In this dilemma, he was quite at a nonplus what to 
do; till finally, he resolved to throw himself upon 
the known courtesy of an Englishman, and explain 
exactly how matters stood ; begging of the guests on 
their arrival to let their servants fetch from their 
own tents such implements for table use as were 
indispensably requisite for the accommodation of all. 

No sooner, however, had the poor agent explained 
the state of affairs by means of the interpreter, than 
the guests, one and all, fell into a violent passion, and 
asked the consul how he had dared to insult them by 
asking them to dinner when he was not in a position to 
treat them as become persons of their rank and dis- 
tinction. Saying this, they swept from the room in a 
towering passion, leaving the poor agent lost in amaze- 
ment how to account for such conduct from persons 
who styled themselves English gentlemen, and overcome 
with shame and vexation that his neighbours should 
have been witness to such an outrage. 

This anecdote requires no comment. Happily such 
instances of gross misconduct are of rare occurrence, 
but it plainly exemplifies the absurd system followed 
by government in placing native agents all over Syria 
and Turkey, to whom they do not afford means of 
maintaining a position which ought to command 
respect. 

The present system of native agencies is altogether a 
mistake ; they should be entrusted only to those who 
have previously had a European education. Most of 
those now employed have been reared in dread of 



THE CEDAB, OE LEBANON. 



89 



the very name of the local powers, and are ineffi- 
cient in cases of controversy between subjects of two 
nations. 

I may here be permitted to deviate a little from the 
subject of Lattakia and my travels, to make a few 
remarks on the nses and abuses of the protection- system 
so largely practised all over Syria and Turkey. 

The abuses of the system are very great; this is 
much to be regretted, because in the main the ar- 
rangements existing between the Ottoman government 
and European powers with regard to this particular 
subject, viz., that of the privileges enjoyed by Europeans 
to protect a limited number of rayahs actually in the 
service of consuls, merchants, and others, is a very 
great boon to Europeans. Were it not for this pri- 
vilege, Europeans residing in Syria would find it a 
very difficult matter to procure good and efficient 
servants. 

In a country like Syria, where every creature-comfort 
or necessary is extremely cheap, the lower orders, who 
are generally of an indolent disposition, would much 
prefer remaining idle for one-half of the year to 
engaging in any occupation which might make it 
incumbent on them to go through a certain portion of 
daily labour ; and this they can afford to do, as their 
habits are frugal, and the amount gained in one day 
by a labourer will suffice to support himself and family 
for three days. This applies equally to the fellah or 
peasant employed in cultivation. His portion of the 
silk harvest is sufficient to maintain him till the wheat 
crop is gathered in, when he earns with his scythe a 
sufficiency to maintain him in idleness till the olive and 
grape harvests arrive, and then he is either paid in cash 
or allowed a certain quantity of wheat, oil, wine, aqua 



90 



THE THISTLE AND 



vita, dibs , raisins, etc., as recompense for his labour. 
Of this store he lays by a sufficiency for the winter ; the 
silk and the surplus of the wheat, etc., he either sells or 
barters for other household requisites, such as clothing, 
butter and charcoal. He brings his own fuel from the 
mountains, and, if he be at all a careful manager, 
can keep a mule of his own to carry goods and pas- 
sengers to and from the nearest towns and villages. 
Thus, with a very small amount of labour, the peasant 
of Syria can afford to have an idle time of it, were he 
not in terror of government taxes ; for although the 
system of taxation is fairly and justly arranged, and in 
reality the sums levied are small in proportion to the 
income, still there are understrappers, besides their 
own Christian Nazir and Sheikhs, who peculate to a 
large extent under the plea of moneys required for 
government levies. This induces the peasant gladly to 
embrace any opportunity that may offer of entering 
into the service of a Frank; for from the hour of his 
employment he is, to all intents and purposes, the 
subject of another power. He is exempt from taxation, 
and the Nazirs and Sheikhs durst not intrude themselves 
upon the privacy of his household, under penalty of 
being at loggerheads with the consuls and pashas, and 
possibly of being exposed to the ignominy of the 
bastinado. 

Now the very possession of this power to protect is 
sufficient to raise an Englishman much in the esti- 
mation of the Turks, and other natives of Syria ; and 
were this privilege used with moderation, and not 
abused, it would become, as I have already stated, a 
boon to Europeans. 

The great misfortune is, that there is no existing line 
of distinction which might separate the herd of Syro- 



THE CEDAR OP LEBANON'. 



91 



European inhabitants, from those really and virtually 
Europeans by birth and education. These two distinct 
classes are as separated from each other as light is from 
darkness, yet unfortunately possessing like powers and 
like privileges, the latter class, who fill the posts of con- 
suls, merchants, clerks, missionaries, doctors, and a few 
tradesmen, being strictly gentlemen in their principles. 

The former class consists of men, whose paternal 
ancestors were European, and who scrupulously claim 
their rights as such. Most of them have intermarried 
amongst their own peculiar class, so as to form a distinct 
and new race of inhabitants in Syria. They have in- 
herited from their fathers, in a lineal descent, their 
names, nationality, and wealth, and in many instances 
their consular dignity. Some few have inherited the 
consulates without proportionate means to support the 
dignity, and the mass of this class being linked together 
by marriage ties, almost every man is grandfather, 
uncle, cousin, nephew, father, brother, or son, or 
brother-in-law to his next-door neighbour. It is with 
this latter class in particular that the abuse of the pro- 
tection system prevails to an alarming extent. 

There are in Syria few or none of that troublesome 
class of Europeans that so infest Constantinople, Smyrna, 
and Alexandria. I allude to political and other refu- 
gees : these find no occupation or encouragement in 
Syria, where there are no established gambling-houses, 
or other dens to which they can resort. 

To be classed as a European merchant in Syria, 
requires no very great outlay of capital; take, for 
example, the following instance — 

Messrs. A — and Co., a wealthy English firm, estab- 
lished at Beyrout or in Aleppo, receive annually from 
three to four thousand bales of British manufactured 



92 



THE THISTLE AND 



goods, and they ship exports to an equally large amount. 
They necessarily require the sendees of not only house- 
hold servants, but cashiers, native writers, and ware- 
housemen. These men are very properly admitted to 
the privilege of temporarily enjoying the protection of 
a British subject. 

Perhaps the next-door neighbour to these gentlemen 
is a Mr. B — who is also styled a merchant, because 
once, or perhaps twice in a twelvemonth, he goes through 
the form of receiving a solitary bale of goods; this bale, 
in all probability, being sent through his hands as a 
blind, by some wealthier relative, to impress the local 
authorities with an idea of his wealth, and to enable him 
to establish his claim to rank as a merchant. This man 
pretends to find occupation for as many people as the 
solid English house does, and every man in his employ- 
ment, and under his protection (perhaps the cook only 
excepted) is a man of substance. It would be a problem 
hard to solve , by any uninitiated traveller or stranger 
how to account for this ; how this man, who is noto- 
riously poor, and whose miserable single bale of manu- 
factures would barely counter-balance the expenditure 
of his household for a single week, can manage to sup- 
port so vast a retinue, find occupation for so many 
people, and keep up such an appearance of state; but 
the secret lies in a nut-shell. In his case the master is 
the hireling of the servant. His warehouseman alone 
(who drives a thriving trade in the wealthiest bazaar) 
pays him perhaps sixty pounds sterling per annum, to 
enjoy the privilege of European protection; so that at 
this rate, and as the list of protected is a long one, the 
Syro-European merchant is in the receipt of an excel- 
lent income ; he keeps his horses and gives grand enter- 
tainments ; but as far as conscience or honesty goes, 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



93 



these are two hard words not to be met with in his 
vocabulary. 

This is infamous ! But even this is a trine in com- 
parison to what is done by such as are invested with 
authority as consuls. These have a long list of pro- 
tected, and the consular secretary, and consular 
interpreter has each his own peculiar protegees; and 
so the number goes on gradually downwards, until 
we arrive at the consular cawass; and even he can boast 
of one or more on his list ! Thus, in lieu of a consul 
only protecting a dozen or fourteen individuals (which is 
about treble the number he is, strictly speaking, allowed), 
he, in fact, is the indirect means of affording protection 
to many scores of individuals ; each one of whom is a 
dead loss to the treasury of the local government, and 
a burthen to his poorer and less fortunate brethren ; and 
this because the exact amount of any given tax to be 
collected being beforehand fixed by the government, the 
Nazirs and Sheikhs allot to each man of the village his 
own portion; and what should have fallen on the shoul- 
ders of the exempted or protected man, is obliged to 
be made good by those rayahs who are subjected to the 
tax. 

But this is not all : the subordinate officers in some 
of the British Consulates are guilty of equally gross 
offences. The consuls are apt to be wheedled over by 
the cunning dragoman and chancellor, so completely, 
that at last they place a blind and implicit faith in their 
every word or suggestion, and will on no consideration 
listen to complaints often too justly founded against 
these upstart Jacks in office. 

An instance of this happened to myself ; but I will, 
from delicacy to the high official functionary mixed up 
with it omit names of places and persons. A native 



94 



THE THISTLE AND 



Prince was anxious to call upon one of the British au- 
thorities, but being unacquainted with the English 
language, he desired me to accompany him ; not but 
that the authority in question was furnished with an 
interpreter, but simply, because the Prince wished, for 
privacy's sake, that the matter of conversation should 
be confined to ourselves, without any prying ears 
being witness to the interview. Arriving at the office, 
we were shewn in ; but the interpreter ushering the 
Prince into one apartment, shewed me into another. I 
was quite amazed at this strange proceeding ; but as the 
dragoman immediately left the room, I could only con- 
jecture that it was some sly trick of his own, or a wish 
to be possessed of information regarding the Prince. 
Whichever motive it might have been, the visit termi- 
nated without my seeing the official. On a subsequent 
occasion, however, I alluded to the matter; the drago- 
man was taxed with it ; but stoutly denied having done 
anything of the kind, declaring, that I of my own 
accord had gone into another room. I brought the 
Prince's testimony to prove how the man had slighted 
me ; but notwithstanding all this, that lying interpreter 
had gained such influence with this high official, that 
our testimony was discarded, and he was believed. 

After this long digression from the subject, for which 
I beg the reader's kind forgiveness, I now resume the 
thread of my narrative. 

The staple produce of Lattakia is wheat, silk, and 
tobacco; of these, the latter is considered to be the 
finest and most odoriferous in the world; and the 
aboo reah, though many attempts have been made to 
introduce it into other parts of Syria, will grow no 
where else save at Jabaliy, a small seaport town about 
three hours to the southward of Lattakia, and where 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



95 



one of the Sultans, who had abdicated his throne and 
withdrawn himself from the world, built a magnificent 
mosque, and some other public edifices, the ruins of 
many of which are still to be seen, and which render 
"Sultan Ibrahim," as Jabaliy is from these circum- 
stances styled, an object of interest to travellers. 

Whilst at Lattakia a messenger arrived with dis- 
patches, summoning us to Bey rout. On our arrival 
there, we found the combined Austrian, Turkish, and 
English fleets anchored before the town, to compel the 
Egyptians to evacuate Syria, and at the invitation of 
my friend, Ahmed Bey, I paid him a visit on board of 
the Turkish Admiral's vessel, who despatched me on a 
secret mission to the mountains ; whilst there I was 
filled with consternation by hearing a report that 
Ibrahim Pasha, having obtained intelligence of my 
movements, had set a price upon my head. I imme- 
diately burnt all my papers, changed my dress, and 
travelled in disguise of a beggar, expecting every 
moment to be recognised and beheaded. At last I 
reached a village called Arrayah, near the road to 
Damascus ; here I had some relations, and I imme- 
diately went to them for shelter. 

After I had been there a few days, the news of it 
reached the governor, and he immediately sent two 
cawass to arrest me ; but the servant of my friend 
having received information that I was being pursued, 
hid me in the harem apartments, which are accessible to 
none but the head of the family, a priest, or a physician; 
here I was secreted, and on their arrival, they even sent 
in a priest to the harem to ascertain if I was there, but 
the vigilance of my protectors evaded them even in this, 
and I was let down from the window in a basket into 
the garden, from whence I escaped to a cave close by 



98 



THE THISTLE AXD 



till midnight ; I tlien made my way "back to my rela- 
tions, who told me of the close search the caw ass had 
made for me, and the disappointment they experienced 
at not finding me. 

A few days after this an English traveller passed 
through the place, and understanding a little of his 
language, I offered my services to accompany him to 
Beyrout, under the title of tutjaman, and according 
to the laws of Turkey, I no sooner joined him than 
I was under British protection ; by this means I 
reached Beyrout in safety; and finding that the 
Capitan Pasha had gone to Acre, I joined the English 
forces, and then, for the first time in my life, witnessed 
the consummate skill and accuracy with which the 
troops carried on the warfare. 

Nothing could have been more ingenious than the 
plan of attack. The Turkish troops, arriving in steamers 
and vessels of war, were during the night, with the 
utmost precaution, transhipped to the British vessel, 
and next morning, those vessels supposed by the forces 
on shore to carry troops, were towed down by the 
"Geyser" and other steamers towards Dog Biver, 
which occasioned the whole of the Egyptian forces to 
evacuate the town, and take up a strong position in the 
neighbourhood of the Dog River. Here they were 
mowed down by the heavy batteries of the frigates, 
whilst the transhipped troops landed and took unmo- 
lested possession of the town. And so the victory was 
won. 

I remained with the army several weeks, and assisted 
in the operations against the Egyptians, and after 
the conclusion of the peace proceeded, accompanied 
by an English official and a numerous body of atten- 
dants, to Tripoli, or as we call it, Trablous, the 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



97 



beautiful orange garden of the world. People talk so 
much about St. Michael oranges ; for my part I have 
never seen any orange in the world whose flavor and 
scent could equal that of Trablous ; besides which they 
are so plentiful and cheap, that although all the sea 
coasts, and the interior of Syria and Palestine, and 
even parts of Asia Minor are supplied with boat-loads 
and camel-loads of oranges from Tripoli, there is still 
abundance left to cause them to be a cheap as well as 
a delicious luxury. Our duty here, as elsewhere, was 
to see that the people of the place and the neighbourhood 
were well governed — to hear complaints and bring them 
in a proper form before the local authorities, to the 
end that injured parties might obtain redress — and to 
enquire into and make notes of everything that occurred. 

The natives had christened my friend " Abu Rish," 
which being literally translated, means " the father 
of a feather;" they gave him this name because he 
always sported a large feather in his cocked hat, 
which was seldom set aside in his journeyings. I 
have no doubt but that many of the ignorant and half 
wild natives of some of the villages that we passed 
through looked upon this hat and feathers in something 
the same light as the native of the savage island re- 
garded that of Captain Cook, considering it to be a very 
strangely formed head, an abnormal amalgamation of 
the cock with the man. 

We were lodged at Tripoli, with the Signor Catsoflis, 
the British vice-consul, at whose house we experienced 
much hospitality. Signor Catsoflis, and his brother, 
the Austrian vice-consul, are twins, and so strong is 
the resemblance between them that it is barely possible 
for a stranger to distinguish the one from the other 
when apart. The wife of Mr. Catsoflis, the Austrian 

F 



98 



THE THISTLE AND 



vice-consul, is the sister of Mr. Elias, the vice-consul at 
Lattakia. I never before, or since, have set eyes on 
any woman that could rival her in beauty, and her dis- 
position was as sweet as her face was lovely. This lady 
made a complaint to me on behalf of a fellow Christian, 
a poor peasant from the mountains, who accustomed to 
rove about free, and in such dress as his fancy dictated, 
amongst his own villagers, unwittingly made his appear- 
ance in the streets of Tripoli, dressed in a light robe 
of a greenish color, whieh excited the wrath and indig- 
nation of some fanatics, who, saying that none but 
descendants from the prophet could be permitted to wear 
any colour approaching to green, tore the garment from 
the poor fellow's back, beat and otherwise shamefully 
ill-treated him; this was the instance of the complaint. 
"And now/' said the fair advocate, addressing herself to 
me, " let me see if you and your friend are really pos- 
sessed of such influence and authority as you vaunt 
yourselves of, by causing the wrongs of this poor un- 
offending man to be redressed." If any thing could 
have spurred me to the deed, it was certainly being thus 
taunted by one of the handsomest women in the world. 
I immediately agreed to comply with her wishes, and 
girding on my sword, took the Cawass, and proceeded 
direct to Yusuf Pacha. Before going, however, I had 
donned a pair of Wellington boots that an European 
friend had lent me, and the brilliant emerald green of 
whose tops must have inspired the gaping Moslems 
in the streets with the utmost envy and rage. 

I entered into the presence of the governor without 
even announcing myself, an abrupt proceeding which 
not a little disconcerted His Excellency, who began 
anxiously to question me, hoping that I was the bearer 
of good, not of unfavourable, news. I stated the case 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON, 



99 



to the governor, and lie replied very civilly, that he 
regretted that it did not come within his jurisdiction, 
being purely a question of creed. The Cadi, how- 
ever, being summoned to the divan, tried to shuffle 
out of the matter as best he could ; he said it was 
decidedly against the law of the prophet, and that the 
aggressor merited the punishment. I asked him whether 
this law was intended to bear only upon certain indivi- 
duals, or upon all. The Cadi replied, upon all ; then, 
said I, if such be the case, you had better take me and 
give me a bastinadoeing, for as you see, pointing to 
my boots, nothing can be a brighter green than those 
are; this completely confounded the Cadi. I insisted 
on having the men bastinadoed on the very spot 
where the outrage had been committed. British vessels 
of war were still cruising about in the neighbourhood ; 
the fall of Acre was still fresh in the memory of the 
Moslems; the consequence was, that after some little 
demur, I carried the day, and the men were punished 
as I had wished and directed. This event occasioned 
immense sensation amongst the inhabitants, and im- 
pressed them with a due notion of the influence and 
power of the British nation, tending to keep the more 
fanatical within bounds, since no rank, or grade, or 
riches, could protect them from punishment if they 
once gave offence to Europeans. 

From Tripoli we proceeded to visit the famous cedars 
of Lebanon. There are at present eleven of these 
celebrated trees, seven of which are supposed to have 
existed from the time of the building of Solomon's temple. 
I need scarcely inform you, my readers, how conspi- 
cuously these trees have figured in Biblical metaphors. 
The prophet Ezekiel speaks in glowing terms of their 



100 



THE THISTLE AND 



beauty. Again, the prophet Isaiah seems 111 a remark- 
able manner to predict their extinction, " The rest of 
the trees of this forest shall be few that a child may 
write them." How literally has this prophecy been 
fulfilled! 

On my last "visit to Syria I found the priest, to whom 
the charge of these trees is. committed, had planted a 
number of young shoots, though with what success I 
have not yet heard. A church has also been built on the 
spot. The Arabs believe they were planted by the 
hands of the Almighty himself, and there are innumer- 
able traditions connected with these trees, which I hope 
to give an account of in a future work. One of these 
is of so great diameter, that a monk actually hollowed it 
out and formed a sort of room in which he took up his 
abode. The trunks are covered with names of travel- 
lers, many of a very old date cut out with the knife. 

From the cedars we proceeded to the wonderful 
ruins of Baalbec; but these have been often and 
truthfully described by various travellers. At last 
we reached Damascus, and I was pleased beyond 
measure to meet my connexions and acquaintances 
there. At this time several British officers were 
travelling over Syria in all directions on diplomatic 
missions. These endeavoured to ascertain the exact 
capabilities of every town and village, as regards the num- 
ber of men that could bear arms; the number of cattle, 
horses, etc.; the arms and quantity of ammunition, 
and the proportion that the Moslem population bore 
to the Christians. Of these gallant officers, one 
was sent to Damascus, and whilst residing there, 
he was very much captivated by the beauty of the 
Moslem ladies. On first arriving, this gay Lothario 
was well received by the grey -bearded authorities ; but 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



101 



soon he lost caste; reports and complaints were of 
every-day occurrence ; this white stranger would persist 
in making love to the Moslem ladies, and the Moslem 
girls would persist in making love to him. This was 
a dreadful state of affairs ; but this was not all, 
for even the old Armenian patriarch was roused into 
wrath by discovering that a timid little Armenian girl 
was actually head over ears in love with the feather- 
crowned stranger, or rather with his money. There was 
no standing this. The people said it was a crying shame, 
and reported it to the Cadi ; the Cadi complained to 
Nedjid Pacha ; and the Pacha, who was one of the old 
school, and a right down Frank hater, complained to the 
Commander-in-chief of the English forces at Beyrout. 
The Commander-in-chief sent several officers up to 
Damascus to investigate the case, which was tried in 
open divan before the Pacha, who summoned such as had 
charges against the gallant officer to appear before him. 
The charges brought against him were twofold. First, 
that he had endeavoured to subvert the minds of the 
people from rendering due homage to Ottoman authority 
by asking them such significant questions as, for instance, 
If the English were to lay siege to the country, with 
which of the powers would you side ? The second 
charge was, the heinous offence of making love to some 
score of Turkish damsels, besides the Armenian lady in 
question. The first charge was thrown out as frivolous, 
absurd, and annoying ; the second was fully proved. 

I acted as turjaman Bashi to the Court of enquiry, and 
from the circumstance of the gentleman being in a foreign 
land, I was naturally disposed to lean rather to the 
side of the Englishman. The Mahommedans observed 
this, and were very spiteful against me. The result 
of all this was, that the military gentleman was advised 



102 



THE THISTLE AND 



to leave Damascus • but he, availing himself of a 
moonless night, put a termination to the whole affair, 
by starting off for the sea-coast, carrying away with 
hirn a fair, young widow, who had captured his heart 
by her dancing, and to whom he was ultimately married; 
and, for aught I know to the contrary, they are to this 
day a very loving and happy couple. Strange to say, 
neither understood a word of each other's language, 
and it would appear, from this example, that words are 
not necessary where such expressive things as eyes 
and flowers are brought into play. 

This romantic lady, after a lapse of time, settled at 
Beyrout, together with her affectionate husband ; the 
story had preceded them to this place, but they soon 
mixed in society as though nothing had happened. The 
Syrians, though strictly moral, mingle humanity with 
their laws of etiquette ; they do not, as in England, for 
ever exclude from society such as have been guilty of 
so trivial a peccadillo as this lady was guilty of. They 
remember that all are but frail mortals and apt to err. 

To me the English appear to be over severe. It is 
true, that in Turkey the Moslems are entitled to four 
wives, and that in England a man can only marry one ; 
but I should like to know who is the greater delinquent, 
he that avowedly and openly admits of polygamy, or 
that man, who, as is often the case amongst society 
in England, and indeed all Europe, vowing solemnly 
at the altar that "forsaking all others he will keep only 
with her," marries one wife, and at the same time 
continues to associate with half a dozen other women ? 
For my part, whenever I hear of an English lady eloping, 
I cannot help fearing that she has been driven to it by 
the inconstancy or neglect of a wicked husband. 

In Damascus, at the period I am writing of, there 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



103 



dwelt an extraordinary man, well known to the English 
who visited the place as the proprietor of a large hotel, 
by the name of Sayid Ali ; he also filled the office of 
chancellor to the English consulate. This extraordinary 
character could speak and write several languages with 
the utmost fluency, and no one could fathom out what 
countryman he was, or what creed he professed. With 
the English he was an Englishman, and none could 
doubt his pronunciation. This was the case with the 
French; whilst the Turks, listening in admiration to 
his high flow of Stamboline Turkish, and his profound 
knowledge of the Koran, ranked him amongst the most 
devout and most learned of their citizens. One thing 
only was positive with regard to Sayid Ali, and that 
was, that his wife was a Moslem, the daughter of some 
fanatical Sheikh. Sayid's wife had an extremely hand- 
some sister ; who having been seen but once, had cap- 
tivated the heart of an old English official, who at that 
time resided at Damascus; and this gentleman, not- 
withstanding the great disparity between them in every 
respect, in age, rank and creed, determined, cost what 
it might, to marry the girl. Female friends were em- 
ployed as go-betweens, and these so effectually wrought 
upon the imagination of the fair lady, that she 
actually resolved to embrace Christianity, and fly 
for succour to the arms of her lover. Things had 
arrived at this pitch, when Sayid Ali accidentally got 
scent of what was going on ; he subsequently declared 
to me, that had it not been for the high official position 
of the gentleman in question, he certainly would have 
shot him ; as it was, he contented himself with calling 
at his sister-in-law's house, and knocking at the door 
drew his sword; the girl responding to the knock, 



104 



THE THISTLE AND 



opened the door, when the infuriated Sayid Ali made a 
murderous attack upon her, and inflicted a wound on 
her shoulder, a repetition of which must have proved 
fatal. As this happened during the day, the noise 
attracted a crowd around the house, and the girl was 
rescued. Rendered desperate by this, Sayid Ali made a 
plunge at himself, and inflicted a wound in his abdomen 
of nearly an inch deep; not, however, relishing the 
sensation, the monster drew out his sword, and calling 
lustily for aid was forthwith carried away to his own 
house. Here he was attended by the English medical 
officers then at Damascus. I shortly after called to see 
him, and to enquire into the cause of this murderous 
onslaught. In reply he told me that his motives were 
what I have already stated ; he was determined that his 
name should not be defamed, or his wife's family put 
to shame by the act of a thoughtless, capricious child, 
winding up, however, with — 

» I'm glad I have not killed her, and for my part I'll 
never be such a fool again as to stab myself to please 
any one in Damascus/' 

The doctor dressed the wounds, and both shortly 
afterwards recovered, whilst the greatest delinquent in 
the affair suffered neither pain or inconvenience from 
his gross misconduct. He is now in high office under 
the government at Constantinople. This is a fair sample 
of the abuses practised by many of those in authority, 
who in lieu of holding out a pattern for imitation, both 
by example and precept, are unfortunately too prone to 
indulge their own vicious propensities, setting ail pro- 
priety, honour, and justice at defiance. I do not mean 
to say that all incline in the same way—that all are 
addicted to falling desperately in love with every girl 
they meet ; but this I assert, with very few exceptions, 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



105 



they have their peculiar fancies, for the gratification of 
which they stoop to many acts of meaness. In illus- 
tration of what I say I may be permitted to quote one 
more instance, — a case widely different from the 
foregoing, and yet equally offensive to honourable 
minds. 

One man, a sycophant, partly to curry favour with 
a great man whom he wished to oblige, partly to 
satisfy his avaricious propensities, delayed a steam 
packet twenty-four hours beyond its fixed time of 
departure, because the vessel chanced to sail upon a 
Saturday, and the great man in question was a Jew; 
he detained the steamer till Sunday morning to accom- 
modate the fastidious Hebrew, and to profit by his 
commission on the lordly passage money. 

Xow this man is professedly a Christian, but he 
prefers breaking the Christian's sabbath to inconvenience 
his friend or his pocket ; but apart from all this, we 
have still to calculate the losses arising from the 
expenses incurred by such a vessel lying unnecessarily 
idle — the risk of insurance, and the loss of time to 
moneys, cargo, and letters. 

But let us turn to a more pleasing subject. In these 
latter days of progression and civilisation, Damascus 
happily has kept pace with the other towns in Syria ; 
there has been a large influx of European merchants. 
TheGreek patriarch has in the true spirit of civilisation, 
and after great exertions, established a school which 
wih be productive of much good. 

From Damascus we went down to Sidon, visiting, en 
route, the residence of the late Lady Hester Stanhope, 
at Djouni, which was even then fast falling to 
decay. Lady Hester I had known personally, and 
although clever and eccentric, with a head full of 

f 5 



106 



THE THISTLE AND 



strange fancies, yet she had a heart not devoid of good 
feelings and kind intentions. For my part, I can 
always recollect, with grateful pleasure, the kind re- 
ception I met with at her house, and if there is any 
thing which I consider base, it is the conduct of her 
biographer (who was also her physician), and who has 
abused a sacred trust to pander to the inquisitiveness 
of the European world ; or else to contribute to the 
depth and weight of his own purse, has raked up the 
ashes of one, who at least towards himself, was the best 
of friends and patronesses ; and whether the book con- 
tains much of truth or much of imagination, it is either 
a breach of confidence of the very worst order, or a 
libel on the dead which there is none to controvert or 
dispute. 

At Sidon there, at that time, resided General Lou- 
staneau, whose life abounded more in romantic incidents 
than all the novels of our most celebrated writers. In 
India he had served under a native Prince with such 
courage and distinction, and through so long a period 
of years that he had amassed an immense fortune. He 
was at the time of my visit a half-witted mendicant, 
one of the many objects of the late Lady Hester 
Stanhope's benevolence, and one who, like herself, 
was subject to many extravagant eccentricities. The 
story of Loustaneau is so remarkable that I cannot 
refrain from quoting part of it from Mr. Kelly's work 
on Syria : — 

"General Loustaneau was a native of Aidens, in 
the department of Basses Pyrenees ; his family was not 
wealthy, and his youthful ardour impelled him to seek 
his fortune in foreign lands. Arriving at Bordeaux for 
the purpose of embarking for America, he found a 
vessel about to sail for India with M. de Saint Lubin, 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



107 



who was commissioned by Louis XVI. to propose 
to the Mahrattas a treaty of alliance, offensive 
and defensive, against the English. Loustaneau took 
advantage of the opportunity, gave up his American 
project, and in due time found himself amongst the 
Mahrattas. This was in the year 1778, when he was 
twenty years of age. War had for some time existed 
between the Mahrattas and the English, and Lou- 
staneau, who wished to take service with the former, 
obtained a letter of recommendation to M. Norogue, a 
Portuguese officer, who commanded their forces. That 
General received him very courteously, but thought 
him too young to be entrusted with any command. 
Loustaneau, however, accompanied the army in its 
movements, and was witness to the continual advan- 
tages afforded the English by the unskilfulness of 
General Norogue, The Mahrattas, though thrice out- 
numbering their enemies, were constantly forced to 
yield their ground; at last the Prince succeeded in 
bringing the English to an engagement in a position 
unfavourable to the latter, inasmuch as it allowed of 
their being out-flanked by the superior number of their 
adversaries. But this did not avail them ; the English 
entrenched themselves on an eminence from which 
their batteries committed great havoc among the 
Mahrattas. Loustaneau observing a height which 
commanded the English position, immediately men- 
tioned the fact to Norogue, who received this com- 
munication with supercilious indifference. Stung to 
the quick by this contemptuous treatment, Loustaneau 
addressed himself to a Mahratta chief through an 
interpreter, and with the reckless enthusiasm of youth, 
pledged his head that he would be successful if he were 
given the command of a few pieces of cannon. Three 



108 



THE THISTLE AND 



thousand horse and ten guns were placed under his 
orders ; the result surpassed his hopes, and the English 
were driven from their position with great loss. In 
spite of Norogue's jealousy, a choncadar with a gold 
stick was soon sent in quest of the young Frenchman, 
who had rendered such essential sendee to the national 
cause. Loustaneau was presented to the chiefs who 
exercised the regency, and received a magnificent. pre- 
sent. He remained in the service of the Mahrattas, 
and soon had a corps of 2000 men under his exclusive 
command. He took part in all the subsequent ope- 
rations against the English, and was mainly instru- 
mental in inflicting upon them those losses which for a 
while seemed to place our Indian empire in such 
imminent jeopardy. 

" At the battle of Chassepachrer, he routed our 
seapoys with great slaughter ; the battle was ended, the 
English artillery alone continued to fire a few volleys 
in its retreat, in order to protect the fugitives, when 
a grape-shot struck Loustaneau in the left-hand and 
carried off the four fingers and half the thumb. It was 
long before he recovered from the effects of this wound. 
When the stump was healed, he had a silver hand of 
very ingenious workmanship fitted to it. The first day 
he appeared at the head of his troops with this new 
kind of hand, a priest threw himself prostrate before 
his horse's feet, crying out, that the ' prophecy was 
fulfilled, since it w*s written in the temple of the God 
Siva, that the Mahrattas were to reach the summit of 
their glory under a man from the far west, who should 
have a silver hand, and prove invincible/ 

" Loustaneau was thenceforth looked upon as some- 
thing almost superhuman. Diamonds, precious stones, 
the richest presents of every kind, were lavished on 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



109 



him from all sides. He was assigned a magnificent 
palace, with all the appurtenances of royal luxury. His 
stables contained thirty elephants sumptuously capari- 
soned, and a hundred and fifty horses, the best that 
India could produce. His body-guard consisted of 
2000 men, with four pieces of cannon ; and the prin- 
cipal chief had two colossal silver hands planted before 
the entrance of the palace that all men might know, by 
that token, that the man of destiny was the leader of 
the national forces. 

"Another campaign took place, in which Loustaneau 
was again successful, and which terminated greatly to 
the satisfaction of the Mahrattas. On his return to 
Azra, he was received with honours such as were used 
to be conferred only on princes and sultans ; and the 
ruling prince solemnly declared him ' The Lion of the 
State and the Tiger in War/ 

" Loustaneau married the daughter of a French officer 
in India; he had now been eighteen years among the 
Mahrattas; he had several children, and his wife 
urged him to return to Europe to enjoy the fruits of 
his toils. 

" Notwithstanding his excessive generosity, the wealth 
he had accumulated was enormous; but, from the 
moment he quitted the territory of the Mahrattas, 
fortune, which till then had been so lavish to him of 
her favours, forsook him all at once, and the rest of his 
life was but one series of disasters and sorrows. He 
converted his whole fortune into paper, for he had not 
yet made up his mind where he would settle, and he 
did not wish to purchase any estates before his arrival. 
His homeward voyage was long and difficult ; and he 
was several times in danger of shipwreck. When, at 
last, after a seven-month's passage, he reached France, 



THE THISTLE AND 



the assignats had fallen into such utter depreciation, 
that he found the 8,000,000 of francs he had remitted 
home dwindled down to 220,000. This first blow made 
a terrible impression on a temper so violent as his, and 
so spoiled by prosperity ; but he still possessed a con- 
siderable amount in diamonds, some of which he sold, 
and with the proceeds he settled in Tarbes with his 
family, consisting of two sons and three daughters. 
Shortly afterwards, he lost his favourite son, and his 
grief was such as to occasion him an attack of insanity, 
from which he did not completely recover for two years. 
When he was restored to his senses, he set about con- 
structing extensive iron works on the frontiers of 
Spain, in order to afford his restless energies an object 
on which to employ themselves. For three years, his 
sole pleasure consisted in superintending his engineers 
and workmen, and watching the progress of the great 
constructions he planned. 

" Things were in this state when fresh misfortunes 
befel him. He was on the point of realising the profits 
of his enterprise, when war broke out between France 
and Spain. Immediately upon the first disasters of 
the French arms, his buildings were burned, his fur- 
naces destroyed, and his hopes annihilated. The ruin 
of his fortune was almost complete, and he only sup- 
ported himself by selling, one by one, the costly jewels 
he had brought from India. All these misfortunes 
impaired his reason; he had continued fits of over- 
wrought devotion, amounting at times to insanity. 
His family lived on in this way until. 1815, in a state 
of mediocrity very hard to endure after their brilliant 
condition and their opulence in past years. 

In 1815, Loustaneaiv's only surviving son, who was 
a captain in the imperial guards, was dangerously 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



Ill 



wounded at Waterloo. His father saw himself on the 
point of losing him, and this shock seemed to restore to 
him the possession of his faculties. When he recovered, 
all the revived energies of his character were con- 
centrated on the thought, how destitute would be the 
state of his family after his death ; he determined, 
therefore, to return to India, though many years had 
elapsed since he left it. His son wished to go in his 
stead, but he would not hear of this ; and in 1816 he 
embarked for Egypt, having raised the necessary funds 
for his journey by pledging a ruby of rare value, the 
last gift of his Mahratta patron. Not finding in 
Egypt an opportunity of pursuing his way by the Red 
Sea, he crossed over to Syria, with the intention of 
joining the caravan from Damascus to Bassorah ; but 
he fell dangerously ill at Acre, his brain being again 
affected; he squandered away all his money in his 
delirium, and destroyed bills of exchange and other 
valuable papers. After this, he suffered for a while all 
the horrors of penury, and the renowned Loustaneau — 
' The Lion of the State and the Tiger in War ; — was 
reduced to earn his bread as a day-labourer. In this 
deplorable condition he was found by M. Catafago, a 
wealthy Levantine merchant, who relieved his wants 
and took him into his house. 

Loustaneau had occasionally lucid intervals, in which 
he talked of his past greatness, and related the history 
of his life and his afflictions ; but he had the mor- 
tification of seeing that everything he uttered seemed 
to his hearers but an additional proof of his insanity. 
To make all sure, however, letters were written to 
France, requesting information respecting this extra- 
ordinary man; and at last his son, who had heard 
nothing of him for two years, made all haste to Syria, 



112 



THE THISTLE AND 



and found his unfortunate father almost wholly deprived 
of reason. His journey to India was henceforth clearly 
impossible. The Captain had gathered together the 
last remnants of his fortune; and he remained for 
some time in Syria, doing everything that affection 
could suggest, in the hopes of restoring his father to 
himself. 

" It was at this period that the old man's melancholy 
story reached the ears of Lady Hester Stanhope. She 
was then in the heyday of her fame, and she offered 
Loustaneau and his son an asylum in her house. At 
the first sight of the latter, she was struck with the 
resemblance that he bore to the gallant lover she had 
lost. From the lines of his hand, the form of his foot, 
and the aspect of the stars, she gathered that the life 
of Captain Loustaneau was destined to be inseparably 
connected with her own. The Captain, however, had 
not lost sight of his Indian project, for he still hoped 
to recover some remains of the vast property his father 
must have left in that country. Lady Hester dissuaded 
him from going to India, and undertook to employ 
every possible means of recovering what remained of 
the old General' s property or fortune ; but great 
changes had occurred since the old man had left the 
country. Wellesley's (Wellington) victories had put 
the English in possession of a great portion of the 
Mahratta territory; Loustaneau' s princely protectors 
were no more, and his property had passed into other 
hands. 

" It was a singular chance that brought together in 
a corner of Syria two beings so remarkable as General 
Loustaneau and Lady Hester Stanhope; they had 
long, mystical conversations together, and Lady Hester 
looked on Loustaneau as a prophet who was come to 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



113 



prepare the way for her, and to be the forerunner of 
her triumph. The Captain sought to beguile the 
tedium of his existence by managing the household and 
the pecuniary affairs of Lady Hester. She treated him 
with the most assiduous kindness until his death, which 
happened, I believe, in 1825. Her feelings towards 
him were those of pure friendship, tinged by the 
memory of her youthful affections and stimulated by 
the fantastic notion that a secret bond irrevocably 
united his destiny with her own. After his death, she 
had him buried in her garden, and twice every day she 
visited his grave, decorated it with flowers, and remained 
by it absorbed in long reveries. 

" General Loustaneau's insanity became more intense 
after his son's death, his delusions being greatly aug- 
mented by his intercourse with Lady Hester Stanhope, 
Celestial music floated round him; for a while he 
believed himself called to give battle to Bonaparte, who, 
he said, had returned to the earth under the form of 
Antichrist ; and in 1831 he declared it his destiny to 
become king of Jerusalem when the fulness of time 
should have been accomplished. He had now warm 
altercations with Lady Hester; for he asserted his 
right to the bay mare with the natural saddle, whilst 
her ladyship was to have the white mare, and to ride 
with him into the Holy City as his wife, her place 
being at his left-hand and a little behind him. 

u Her ladyship very soon saw it written in the stars 
that Loustaneau and herself were to part. Accordingly 
she had a house fitted up for his reception at Abra, a 
village within five miles of her own residence, on the 
road to Leyde. But she continued her benevolent 
protection towards him, and did not let him want for 
anything requisite for his comfort. 



114 



THE THISTLE AND 



" Lady Hester died in June, 1839, a few days before 
the battle of Nezib, which she had foretold with rather 
surprising accuracy. Her wealth was all gone. She 
even left considerable debts, and her property was 
instantly seized by her creditors. Loustaneau being 
thus once more reduced to entire destitution, the 
French consul of Leden took charge of him, and gave 
him a humble lodging in the French khan. Thus this 
venerable old man, who had once possessed immense 
wealth, commanded great armies, and enriched mul- 
titudes of Europeans, now subsisted on charity. It 
has long been generally supposed that he was dead, as 
asserted by M. Jouay. He is dead, it is true, to all 
purposes of active life, but he has still a few lucid 
intervals in the midst of his harmless religious insanity, 
Happily for him, he has almost wholly lost his memory, 
and of all his past greatness he recollects nothing 
distinctly except the title he bore in India. Often 
does he proudly repeat that they called liim formerly 
f The Lion of the State and the Tiger in War;' 
and then, sadly reverting to his present condition, he 
subjoins, ( And now I am nothing but an unfortunate 
beggar/ " 

Such is the admirable account given by Mr. Kelly 
of this singular individual, who passed through all the 
stages from happiness and affluence to misery and 
destitution. Loustaneau is now dead, not only to 
purposes of active life, but dead in the literal sense of 
the word, and his bones repose in the European 
cemetery at Sidon ; the life of this man and the site of 
his troubles affording a fresh incentive for strangers to 
visit Sidon, in addition to its ancient fame as a city of 
the days of Solomon. 

j Sidon is perhaps the most delightfully situated town 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



115 



in all Palestine. Abounding with pleasant gardens, 
and rides and walks j the climate is healthy, and 
the commerce of the place rising into importance, 
and the harbour capable of great improvement. In 
May, 1851, the families of two American missionaries 
established themselves in this neighbourhood, and 
already the schools and the works of the mission are 
prospering. 

From Sidon we visited Tyre ! poor, solitary, desolate 
Tyre, in whose meagre forsaken town and bare rugged 
rocks, we had manifest proof of the never-failing 
veracity of Scripture prophecy. How else would the 
once greatest city of the earth, whose ships visited all 
parts, whose merchants had a world-wide reputation, be 
now an utter desolation, inhabited only by a few traders 
and wretched fishermen and their families, whose daily 
occupation of spreading out the nets to dry are so many 
consecutive proofs of the fulfilment of the words of the 
prophet. But so many modern travellers have described 
these parts, that it would be useless for me to dwell 
upon the subject in this work, so we quitted Sur, the 
modern Tyre, and a night's pleasant sail in a small 
shaktoor brought us to Acre. St. J ean d' Acre was at 
this period still suffering much from the explosion of 
the powder magazine, which so much assisted Admiral 
Napier in his siege; the houses were all tottering 
ruins, the mosques minus their minarets, and the 
stench from the accumulated mass of decomposed 
matter, the carcases of camels, sheep and oxen, and in 
some places the sun-bleached bones of unhappy beings, 
in the twinkling of an eye as it were hurried into 
eternity ; these were a loathsome and melancholy spec- 
tacle. 

I may here state that I was present at the bombard- 



116 



THE THISTLE AND 



merit of Acre, and from a favourable position witnessed 
the terrific result of the " Geyser " bombshells; but I may 
also further state what is as yet a hidden mystery to the 
British public, and which in a great measure accounts 
for the facility with which this almost impregnable 
fortress was captured, and that is, that the Imams and 
the Cadi of Acre secretly warned the soldiery not to 
resist the arms of the British force there assembled, 
because they were fighting for the Sultan, whom it was 
their duty, as Mahomedans, to obey; and, moreover, 
that in the sight of God and the prophet, there was no 
other lawful Moslem king; none to be acknowledged, 
save the Sultan of the Sublime Porte, Abdul Medjid ; 
and that if they acted against his interests, then the 
Prophet would utterly forsake them, and such as fell in 
battle might fully make up their minds to be hurled 
into eternal perdition, and that such as fought in his 
favour would assuredly go to heaven. Such an exhor- 
tation and threat, at such a peculiar time, was sure to 
have the desired effect. 

Not only did the soldiers fight without spirit, 
but many of the artillery actually spiked their guns. 
Of this latter fact I myself had ocular demonstration 
when the engagement was over, and the allied forces 
landed at Acre. After this fact, it becomes not the 
English admiral to boast too much and compare his 
success with the failure of Napoleon. 

From Acre, still journeying southward, we passed 
the famous brook Kedron, so often alluded to in Holy 
Writ, and passing through the miserable village of 
Kaipha, ascended Mount Carmel, and sojourned a 
couple of days in the hospitable convent of the Car- 
melite monks. Leaving Carmel, we passed through 
Caesarea, now an utter desolation, and visited J affa and 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



117 



Gaza, and from the latter place, striking inland, took 
in succession Hebron, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Dead 
Sea and the Jordan, besides visiting all the other towns 
of any note or importance, all of which have been 
often and fairly described by European travellers, so 
that the best thing I can do is to avoid repetition, and 
content myself with observing, that the reality far 
exceeded my expectations as regards the beauty of the 
scenery and the wild picturesque position of almost every 
town of note in Palestine. At the same time I deem 
it most essential to warn the English travellers to be 
very careful in the choice of a guide-book, as many, 
even up to a very late date, have been published with 
apparently no other aim than to puff up the author's 
vanity, containing mostly a tissue of unaccountable 
misrepresentations from first to last. If the traveller, 
in a spirit of knight-errantry, goes forth to visit 
the holy shores of Palestine and Syria, hoping 
there to bask under the bright light of large sunny- 
loving eyes — if he thinks to lead the Arab maid captive 
by the heart — to win over the smiles of the Grecian, "or 
scampering over desolate mountains — to fall in with 
untutored Syrian maids, who sally forth and carry 
him from his horse, fatigued and fever-smitten, to be 
watched over and cared for by female philanthropists, — if, 
I say, the traveller quits England with any such notions, 
he will return to these shores grievously disappointed. 

Although myself a native of the country, dressed 
in the costume, and speaking the language, still, 
with all these advantages, the maidens always fled 
at our approach, not even if they mastered their coy- 
ness, would they ever exchange a syllable with us 
strangers. Possibly, my friend and myself were not 
possessed of that charm which a recent gallant author, 



118 



THE THISTLE AND 



according to his own account, seems to have carried 
about with him wherever he was ; for he says, that in 
many parts fathers of families rushed out and endea- 
voured to force him into a marriage with their daughters, 
or else the maidens themselves, in villages he had never 
before visited, came forth, having heard of his notoriety 
(this in parts where there is no post, and where news 
travels at the rate of a mile a week), to meet him with 
timbrel and dance, and other welcomings. The only 
note that ever welcomed us to such villages, was the 
angry tongue of a scolding harridan, or else the hoot- 
ing of the owls or the cry of the jackal. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



119 



CHAPTER VIII. 

FIRST VISIT TO ENGLAND. 

It sometimes happened that the naval officers belong- 
ing to the ship-of-war stationed at Beyrout, took up 
their temporary residence with some friend on shore, 
being always welcome guests at the houses of the 
inhabitants. It was in this way that I first came to 
cultivate an acquaintance with the Captain of Her 
Majesty's steamer, lc Hecate," so that we were much 
thrown together. On one occasion, whilst he was a 
guest at our house, he proposed that I should accom- 
pany him on a pleasure cruise as far as Malta and 
back ; a proposition I gladly acceded to, more par- 
ticularly as my friend the Emir Beschir, with his 
family and a relation of my own, were at that time 
residing on the island. I had long had a desire to see 
Malta, for many had described it to me as a species 
of little world, where one might sit down in a cafe 
and study the characters of every European nation. 

The alarm and grief of my relations on learning 
my determination was only to be equalled by the 
envious jeering of my companions, who, whilst they 
pretended to pity my infatuation, would, I feel per- 
suaded, have parted with every para in their possession 
for a portion of my good luck. 



120 



THE THISTLE AND 



The steamer was to sail at the end of the week, and 
I was so busy making preparations, packing and taking 
leave, that I really had not a moment's leisure for calm 
meditation, — and I am very glad I had not, for the 
chances are, that this, in conjunction with some of the 
melancholy forebodings of my friends, would have 
unnerved me for the trip. Seeing, however, that I was 
determined on starting, my neighbours changed their 
annoying prognostications into good acts, which acts 
consisted in inundating me with as many presents of 
sweetmeats, biscuits, etc., as would have kept me 
during a twelvemonth's passage round the world. I 
selected some of the best of them for the officers' mess, 
and at last the word ready being given, got my luggage 
together and embarked ; the dispatches being received 
on board, and the " Hecate " soon after getting up her 
steam, we proceeded on our voyage to Malta accompanied 
by the prayers and blessings of a multitude of friends 
and relations assembled at Ras-Beyrout to witness our 
departure. 

The day after we had sailed, I awoke at early dawn 
and crept up upon deck as best I could. The motion 
of the vessel was so strange and violent, that I reeled 
and staggered like a tipsy man, and felt confused, 
miserable, weak and sick. The horrible sensations I 
experienced on first awaking that morning cannot be 
easily erased from my mind. I was awoke by a singular 
and deafening noise, which seemed to proceed from 
directly overhead, which, as I afterwards discovered, 
was occasioned by the daily process of holy stoning 
the decks. I managed to reach the main-deck just 
in time to be handed to the larboard gangway by the 
officer of the watch, who there left me alone in my 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



121 



misery with my head hanging over the bulwarks — a 
wretched victim to sea-sickness. 

Bitterly, during that moment, did I lament having 
ever quitted Beyrout. My sufferings were so intense 
that I thought I must have died during the day. This 
was the first time I had ever found myself so far out 
at sea. There was no land in sight. The morning 
was gloomy and boisterous, and altogether my spirits 
felt so depressed that I resigned myself to Allah, and 
wrapping the loose folds of my large Cyprus cloak 
carefully around me, I sat down cross-legged in a 
corner behind the man at the helm, and vainly endea- 
voured to fall off to sleep. A nice cup of coffee which 
the captain's steward kindly brought, in a great 
measure revived me; this relief, however, was only 
temporary, the dreadful odour of the victuals cooking 
for breakfast, fried fish, ham and eggs, etc., these 
made me feel so ill that I was compelled to retire to 
my berth, and there I lay more dead than alive during 
the whole passage, utterly callous as to what became 
of me, and as to whether the vessel was steadily pur- 
suing her voyage in safety or was in imminent danger 
of going to the bottom. 

Some Capuchin friars were on board, returning from 
Jerusalem to Malta, accompanied by two young Syrian 
females who were going to Borne to be educated in the 
principles of the Boman Catholic religion, and they not 
only enjoyed the passage amazingly, being possessed of 
capital appetites, but they very uncharitably, though 
not very unlike human nature, mocked at my cala- 
mities and tried to heighten my alarm and sufferings 
by frightening me with false reports as to the vessel's 
danger, and as to my own weak state of health. 

After intense sufferings and encountering much really 

G 



122 



THE THISTLE AND 



rough, weather, we had at length the satisfaction of 
finding ourselves safe at anchor in the harbour of 
Valetta. I doubt whether any of the passengers that 
accompanied St. Paul on his disastrous voyage and 
shipwreck, suffered greater fear or pain than I had 
undergone ; certainly they could not have rejoiced more 
than I did at its happy termination. Blessed be God, 
who is not forgetful of His children, even in the vast 
unruly deep ! 

On arriving at Malta, we had eleven days' quarantine 
to perform ; but the tediousness of this imprisonment 
was much alleviated by the kindness and attention of 
the good Mr. Schlinz, whom I had known in Syria, 
and who now daily visited me at the Lazaretto, sup- 
plying me with books to fill up the tedium of dull 
hours. On the eleventh day, being admitted to pratique, 
I accepted the hospitable invitation of that gentleman 
to take up my quarters at his house. I was, through 
his politeness, introduced into the society of several of 
the leading families at Malta. On leaving Beyrout, I 
had been furnished with letters of introduction to Sir 
Frederick Bouverie, the then governor. His excellency 
received me with the utmost urbanity and kindness, 
and, indeed, I shall ever have cause gratefully to 
remember Sir Frederick's polite attention, as it was 
mainly through his instrumentality that I first visited 
the shores of Great Britain. 

One of my first visits was, of course, to the Emir 
Beschir of Lebanon, who, with his family, were then 
residing there as political exiles. I had several long 
conversations with this once-powerful prince, and the ^ 
Emir suggested that his wife and son should accompany 
me to London, there to exert their influence in endea- 
vouring to prevail upon Her Majesty the Queen to 



THE CEDAR OE LEBANON. 



123 



interpose her influence on their behalf. They com- 
municated with the British Government both at home 
and in the island on this subject, but no encouragement 
was held out by the authorities there or in England for 
the furtherance of this scheme, and the subject, after a 
long correspondence, was, therefore, reluctantly dropped. 
The Emir, being hurt and displeased at this apparent 
neglect, sent his son to Constantinople, who, being well 
received by the Ottoman Government, wrote, at its sug- 
gestion, to invite his father to the Porte, an invitation 
he readily accepted ; upon which the governor of Malta 
placed at his disposal a British war-steamer, and the 
Emir and his family immediately quitted the island. 

I may here be permitted to deviate a little from my 
journal to give a brief description of these Emirs, their 
origin and end. The family of the Emirs were origi- 
nally Moslems, natives of Shaahbah, a village on the 
southern plain of Lebanon, and they are said to be 
descended in a direct line from the renowned Moslem 
Prophet, and to have ruled over the Lebanon for many 
years. The founder of the family Yusuf al Husn, or 
the handsome or beautiful Yusuf, so called from his 
great personal attractions, was, on account of his 
bravery and influence, chosen by the mountaineers of 
Lebanon to be their prince. 

Before consenting to the choice, however, he himself 
stipulated that the power of life and death should be 
invested in his hands, and this having been agreed to, he 
was duly elected Emir, came to the mountains, and settled 
amongst his people, over whom he was to rule with a 
despotic sway. During the time this prince held the 
supreme power he preserved the greatest order amongst 
the unruly tribes over whom he was placed, and travellers 
passed and repassed with the greatest safety. Some 



124 



THE THISTLE AND 



ikcae after he had settled amongst the Druses and 
Maronites, after mature consideration, he came to 
the resolution of , embracing the Christian religion, 
although such a measure was sure to prove disadvan- 
tageous to him, by estranging the Druses and occa- 
sioning the Sultan's displeasure ; he, however, retained 
undisputed right of his position and authority, and on 
dying, was succeeded by his son, the Emir whom I 
then met at Malta. 

The motives of this second Emir's disgrace arose 
from his having fallen into disrepute with the govern- 
ment from not immediately joining the Seraskier 
Pacha on the occasion of the expulsion of the Egyp- 
tians from Syria, but the poor man was actuated by 
causes which few can help both admiring and pitying; 
his son was at that time with Ibrahim Pacha, and had 
it been known to that warrior that the Emir had 
joined the forces against him, there is little doubt but 
that he would have caused his son to be cut to 
pieces. Under these circumstances, the Emir was 
constrained to remain on the mountains till the expul- 
sion of the Egyptian troops had been effected. He 
then went down to Sidon and surrendered himself to 
the English, and was by them conveyed in a frigate 
to Beyrout. 

The Seraskier having given out that he was in pos- 
session of a Fii man, by the authority of which, could he 
lay hold of the Emir, he would undoubtedly behead 
him, and send his head as a trophy to Constantinople, 
the English authorities strongly recommended his 
departure for Malta, where once on English ground his 
safety would be ensured. The Emir accordingly came 
to that island, and was very well received by the 
governor, who placed a palace at his disposal. I must 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



125 



acknowledge that all that the Emir said about Sir 
Frederic Bouverie redounded much to his Excellency's 
^credit. He spoke of him as a humane and kind 
governor, and one who knew how to respect fallen 
dignity. 

I have already said the Emir ultimately left Malta 
for Constantinople. On arriving at Stamboul he 
was exiled to Zafron Boli, a place notorious for 
the animosity of its inhabitants towards Christians, 
and where his eldest son, pining on account of the 
miseries endured by his father, soon succumbed. 
Here he remained some time subjected to much 
mental suffering. Often in after years he told me in 
familar conversation, that what afforded him some 
small consolation was the similitude between his own 
fate and that of the late King Louis Philippe. 

After some time, through the kind intervention of 
one of the European ambassadors, the Emir was brought 
to Broussa, and ultimately removed to Constantinople, 
where within a short time, himself and his remaining 
son sunk into the grave. Every respect was paid to 
his memory; by the Sultan's order a public funeral 
was awarded him, and masses said for the repose of his 
soul at the government expense, a striking proof of the 
liberality and toleration of the government of the 
Sublime Porte. 

During my stay at Malta, the late Dr. Alexander, 
the first Protestant bishop in Jerusalem, arrived at that 
island, accompanied by his family and suite, en route 
for his new see. I shall never forget my amazement 
on being introduced to that prelate, to find that he 
wore no beard. A bishop without a beard was a 
perfect marvel to me, and a thing unheard of in the 
East, in short, perfectly fabulous. This excellent man 



126 



THE THISTLE AND 



condescended to ask my opinion on many points con- 
nected with the East, and I made so bold as to tell him 
that if he wished to pass for a bishop amongst the 
natives of Syria, he mnst let his beard grow without 
further delay. 

Malta was a great novelty to me — the beauty of the 
scenery — the bustle of the place — the frigates, steamers, 
schooners, boats, carriages, soldiers, bands of music, 
friars, nuns, and a vast concourse of people in every 
imaginable costume, and speaking every known tongue. 
All these perplexed, astonished, and delighted me at 
one and the same time, and a drive in the environs of 
Valetta was a perfect treat. At Malta I first got an 
idea of European manners ; and I must own, my asto- 
nishment was very great to see the females, with faces 
perfectly uncovered, chatting in the greatest familiarity 
with the opposite sex, and it was to me quite incompre- 
hensible. But my greatest astonishment was excited at 
a ball to which I was invited. The waltzing, polkaing, 
etc., appeared to me a most ridiculous and indecent 
exhibition ; and it was a long time before this feeling 
wore off. I have to this day been unable to find out 
how any pleasure can be derived from a constant spinning 
round like the sails of a mill. 

It was not without much regret that I quitted the 
island — a perfect scene of enchantment — and the kind, 
hospitable acquaintances I had formed during my brief 
stay. His excellency the governor had been good 
enough to exert his influence in procuring me a passage 
on board of a war-steamer on the point of leaving for 
England. Such an opportunity was not to be thrown 
away, so huiTying down to the water-side, I embarked, 
on board H. M/s steam-frigate Gorgon, Capt. W. H. 
Henderson, C.B., 28th February, 1842. I had leisure 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



127 



to survey the busy scene around us before the vessel 
finally started. Shore-boats were plying around, offering 
for sale fruits, cigars, and canary birds. On board all 
was order and silence ; around, all confusion, shouting, 
and quarrelling, and whilst mentally occupied in draw- 
ing this comparison, the anchor was weighed and we 
steamed rapidly away from the pleasant shores of the 
island of Malta. 

After an agreeable voyage, marked by no particular 
incident, we duly arrived at Portsmouth. On my 
arrival, I was made happy by meeting the Rev. Mr. 
Marshall, chaplain of Nelson^s ship, the Victory, and 
whose acquaintance I had the pleasure of forming when 
that gentleman was travelling in Syria. Mr. Marshall 
and all the officers of the ship were extremely kind to 
me, and shewed me over the old ship of the renowned 
admiral. At Portsmouth I landed, and having got a 
permit, was kindly shewn over the splendid dockyards. 
Here also I tasted some water twenty years in cask. 
I afterwards went round in the same steamer to 
Woolwich, and having shewn my letters of intro- 
duction to the captain, he kindly undertook to advise 
me. He recommended me to proceed at once to the 
house of the Honourable and Rev. Baptist Noel ; and 
acting upon his advice, I came to London, and thence 
proceeded to Hornsey, at that time the residence of my 
reverend friend. 

Confused and amazed as I was with the noise and 
bustle around me in so vast a place as London, I was 
sufficiently alive to my own interests to have my eyes 
open, so that I should not be cheated. This led to a 
ludicrous altercation between myself and a toll-collector 
at a turnpike. The man insisted on his money being 
paid; I, on the other hand, as obstinately refused, 



128 



THE THISTLE AND 



assuring him that, though a foreigner, I was well 
acquainted with the tricks practised upon travellers; 
in short, I thought the man was asking for what, in my 
own country, is termed a hahhsheesh, which means 
nothing more or less than a present. Some gentlemen, 
however, came up and explained how matters stood, 
and then I paid the trifle and bade the driver proceed. 

Nothing could exceed the Christian brotherly reception 
I met with at the excellent Mr. Noel's house; he 
actually busied himself with helping to carry in my 
baggage, and I was lost in admiration to observe how, 
in the bosom of his own family, he would play and 
sport with his own children, doing anything for their 
amusement and to make them happy. His early rising 
and great taste for gardening quite astonished me. 
Pleasant indeed were the days that I spent under his 
hospitable roof, and if any in this world have a claim 
upon my esteem and gratitude, it surely must be 
Mr. Noel and his amiable lady. 

Leaving my kind host's house, which I did with 
unfeigned regret, I lived some time in London with 
Mr. W. Brown, in order to make myself familiar with 
the many sights so well worthy of visiting ; and I then 
proceeded to Wimbledon, in order that, under the care 
and tuition of the Rev. William Edelman, the clergy- 
man of the place, I might improve myself in English, 
and be prepared for a college education. I owed this 
introduction to the kindness of the Eev. W. Neven and 
the Hon. Capt. Maude, noted for their civility to all my 
countrymen that have ever visited England. In Mr. 
Edelman' s house, I found a happy home, for I was 
considered and treated in every respect as one of the 
family. Mrs. Edelman was a very accomplished lady ; 
she kindly undertook to teach me drawing, and she was 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



129 



well versed in Latin and classics. Of the many kind 
friends I met with during my stay at Wimbledon, I may 
particularise and thank the kind-hearted Mrs. Marry att, 
mother of the celebrated novelist, who, at the advanced 
age of eighty, looks as blooming as though she were in 
the prime of life. The venerable lady is a great botanist 
and very fond of gardening. Mrs. Russell and her two 
daughters shewed me great civility, as did the gifted 
Mrs. Hudson, who is unfortunately blind. I am also 
much indebted to the attention and civility of Major 
Oliphant, the East India director, and my friends 
Mallison and Peach and their families; in short, 
without enumerating their names, I thank all my good 
friends at Wimbledon 

One day at church I was surprised and gratified at 
recognising in the person of a very tall gentleman 
sitting in a pew some distance from me, the late Cap- 
tain Murray of the Rifles, an old friend who had been a 
visitor at our house in Syria ; he was as pleased as 
myself at the recognition, and having introduced me 
to his mother and sisters, insisted on my going home 
with him to lunch. Such acts of attention and kind 
civility were of daily occurrence during my stay at 
Wimbledon ; but I must not forget to thank Miss C — , 
who was so good as to be at the trouble of taking my 
portrait. 

I witnessed a cavalry review before His Royal 
Highness Prince Albert ; the dazzling splendour of the 
accoutrements surprised me very much. Here also I 
was once nearly being made eye-witness to a detestable 
duel. The circumstances of this adventure were as 
follows, viz. : — I* was one day walking with Mr. 
Walmsley, now of the Foreign-office, and Captain John 
Nunn, a military officer from Ireland, when passing near 

g5 



130 



THE THISTLE AND 



Wimbledon- common, we saw some people busily occu- 
pied in measuring the ground Imagining them to be 
engineers occupied in a survey, I was glad of the oppor- 
tunity likely to be afforded me of improving myself 
in this science by closely watching their proceedings. 
With this intention I asked my friends to approach 
nearer to them ; judge then of my horror when in- 
formed by them, that these preliminaries were evidently 
being arranged for a duel about to take place between 
two gentlemen, who had probably quarrelled about 
some trifle, possibly un affaire de coeur, and who were 
going to settle their differences in this disgraceful 
manner. One of my friends ran and fetched a 
constable, who speedily terminated the proceedings 
by virtue of his staff of office. 

I cannot say how detestable and absurd this crime 
appeared in my eyes — such bloodshed to occur in 
civilised England appeared to me marvellous — in a 
country professedly Christian. I really began to wish 
myself back in Syria again ; for if this was to be the 
result of civilisation and education, ignorance were bliss 
indeed. 

On my first arrival in England, and for many months 
afterwards, I was greatly at a loss to comprehend the 
many idioms of the language; and the result was that 
I was perpetually the victim of some ludicrous error 
in either speaking or misunderstanding the English. 
Previous to my departure from Syria, I had become 
acquainted with the son of the late respected vice- 
Chancellor, Sir Launcelot Shadwell, now a commander 
in Her Majesty '$ navy. On our parting he had 
desired me, should I ever visit England, to call upon 
his father, from whom I could readily obtain his 
address. Soon after my arrival I bethought myself of this 



THE CEDAR OP LEBANON. 



131 



invitation, and called at the court-house at Westminster. 
On enquiring of an attendant if Sir Launcelot was 
within, the man replied in the affirmative, but at the 
same time gave me to understand that Sir Launcelot 
was sitting, and that therefore I could not hope to see 
him. 

This reply naturally very much amazed me, and 
I therefore persisted in my request. 

" I tell you, Sir, that Sir Launcelot is sitting" was 
again the answer of the servant. 

This rather annoyed me. "Well, Sir," rejoined I, 
"I know that Sir Launcelot is sitting] I never supposed 
for an instant that he was lying down or asleep at this 
hour of the day, and that is just the very reason why I 
have called to see him." 

I need not say that my reply as much astonished 
the official as I was confounded at his obstinacy. 
After some little altercation, however, I was made to 
understand that the term sitting, as used in this 
instance, referred to Sir Launcelot's official occupations, 
and not a little abashed, I apologised for the error, at 
the same time explaining to the man the motives of my 
visit. I begged him to take in my card, and in the 
mean time walked into the court, not however without 
a fresh difficulty occurring, for the official requested me 
to take off my cap, for I then wore what I have been 
accustomed to all my life, the fez or tarboush. On this 
request being repeated, I told the man that I would 
much sooner take off my boots, as it was disrespectful 
in my country to go bareheaded into the presence of 
one's superiors. I suppose the man had never seen 
such a curious customer as I seemed to him to be ; he 
however implored of me not to remove my boots, and 
without further demur, allowed me to remain. 



132 



THE THISTLE AND 



I afterwards saw Sir Launcelot in the private office 
of the Chancellor. He received me with stiff hauteur 
and distant politeness, and on making known my 
errand, regretted that he could not give me his son's 
address, but said that if I left my own, he would for- 
ward it to his son. This I did, and rather hurt at the 
frigidity of his manner, speedily withdrew. 

A few days after this, I received a very kind letter 
from Sir Launcelot, enclosing me one from his son, 
and in which Sir Launcelot, after apologising for the 
apparent want of courtesy displayed in his reception, 
which he justly attributed to the impostures often prac- 
tised by persons of foreign appearance on the credulity 
of English gentlemen, concluded by hospitably inviting 
me to dinner, when I should have the happiness of once 
again meeting my friend, his son. 

About the same time that I had come to England, 
there also arrived a young Druse Sheikh from the 
mountains of Lebanon, who, attended by his two 
servants, had left his home to be educated; and govern- 
ment had placed him under the tuition of the Rev. 

Mr. . Some time afterwards, one of the servants 

from some misunderstanding, attempted to stab that 
gentleman, but was fortunately prevented. A great 
disturbance, however, occurred, and the police were 
obliged to interfere and disarm them. In 1843 the 
Prince went raving mad, and was sent back to his 
friends. I afterwards met him on one occasion on the 
Lebanon, and he told me that he was very ill, as the 
English had put a charm into his stomach ; and he 
begged of me to give him an English lancet to perform 
an operation and cut the charm. Luckily there are 
instances directly opposite to this case, or else one 
might be discouraged in carrying out the good cause 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



133 



of Syrian education. The fate of Assaad Shidiac 
(whose brother is considered one of the first Arabic 
and English scholars, and has been for many years 
employed by the Church Missionary Society in trans- 
lating the Bible from English into Arabic), who fell 
a martyr to the cause, shews triumphantly that few 
people can be more sincere converts than the Syrian 
Christians. 

This admirable young man was originally a Maronite, 
but haying been educated by the missionaries, was led 
to see the errors of the Romish faith. While travelling 
amongst his own native villagers he was seized, and the 
people tried to force him to renounce the faith he had 
adopted. On his refusal, they imprisoned and other- 
wise ill-treated him. A merchant residing at Beyrout 
very soon new to his rescue, but alas ! he arrived too 
late, the noble soul of Shidiac had fled for ever 
from its earthly tabernacle, and the immediate cause of 
his death remains to this day enveloped in mystery 

I remember well that on first arriving in England I 
had a habit of sitting cross-legged on a chair or an 
ottoman. This position used to amuse my English 
friends very much, and on one occasion when I detected 
a number of young ladies laughing amongst themselves 
and pointing at me, I anxiously enquired the cause of 
their merriment, and one of them volunteered to tell 
me that it was only tailors in this country that resorted 
to the use of such a droll position. I assured them 
that in Syria the nobles of the land sat cross-legged ; 
but thanking them for this gentle correction, I ever 
after endeavoured to sit as much like an Englishman as 
I could, a task which I at first found both difficult and 
disagreeable. 

At this time I received intelligence of the death of a 



134 



THE THISTLE AND 



very dear friend and relative, and this melancholy news 
urged on me the necessity of returning to Syria. I 
accordingly began to make preparations, and was so 
fortunate as to meet Sir George Otway, who was going 
up the Mediterranean in command of the "Virago" 
steamer, and who very kindly gave me a passage as far 
as Malta. 

On board the "Virago" I had the happiness of 
meeting those amiable noblemen, the Marquis of 
Worcester and Lord Clarence Paget. We touched at 
Gibraltar, and were there joined by the bishop of that 
diocese who was about to pay a visit to Malta. We 
had a remarkably pleasant voyage out, and on arriving 
once more at Malta, I immediately occupied myself on 
preparations for landing, not displeased at the idea of 
once again visiting that pleasant little island for a few 
days. In the midst of all this, my attention was sud- 
denly attracted to the constant succession of flags that 
were being rapidly hauled up and down and changed. 
I was of course ignorant as to the motives of these 
signals. In a short time, however, Sir George Otway 
enlightened me on this subject by informing me with 
a smile in his countenance, that the "Medea" steam 
frigate, Captain Warden, with the Lycian expedition, 
was about to leave for Rhodes, and that he was glad 
to say he had been successful in procuring me a passage 
by her. Accordingly, taking a hearty leave of the 
excellent commander and gallant officers of the 
"Virago," and bidding adieu to my noble fellow- 
passengers, I was quickly transferred from one vessel to 
the other. 

On the deck of the new steamer I was delighted to 
recognise the features of my old acquaintance Mr., 
now Sir Charles Fellowes, who was then proceeding to 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



135 



conduct the expedition to Lycia in Asia Minor. In a 
few days the steamer landed me at Rhodes. I joined 
the Austrian boat at that island, and was soon, to my 
great joy and satisfaction, safely landed at Bey rout. 

On joining my old acquaintances, I was much amused 
at the ridiculous reports in circulation as to the 
results of my visit to England. Some imagined I had 
been made a bishop, whilst others stated that I had 
given myself out as the Prince of Syria, and had per- 
suaded the English government to grant me a fleet to 
conquer the country. I was frequently asked by the 
chiefs when I expected the ships to arrive. All con- 
cluded that I was thoroughly versed in medicine, as 
the people of Syria imagine all Europeans, and those 
who visit that country, to be well acquainted with this 
science. 

After I had been a short time at Beyrout, I went on 
a visit to the mountains, when a desperate war broke 
out between the Maronites and the Druses, through 
the machinations of the priests. The Druses imme- 
diately made a desperate attack upon the village of 
Dayr Al Kamar, where at that time the Emir Kasim was 
residing at the palace. The village was nearly destroyed 
and much blood was shed. The palace was sufficiently 
strong to resist their attack. The government was so 
amazed at this outbreak, that the Emir was ordered to 
go to Beyrout, whence he was sent to Constantinople. 
I myself remained a short time at Beyrout to arrange 
some private affairs. These being settled to the satis- 
faction of all concerned, I took my passage to Constan- 
tinople on board of one of the Austrian steamers, and 
after a prosperous voyage was duly landed at Stamboul. 
This was the first time I had ever visited the great 
Moslem capital ; but I came here after having seen and 
been resident at London, and it consequently had 



136 



THE THISTLE AND 



few charms for me, though I must admit, that as seen 
from the sea in approaching it, I thought Stambonl 
one of the most lovely spots I had ever set eyes on. 

Here I soon joined my old acquaintance the Emir 
Kasim. The story of this prince is as follows : — 

His childhood was passed on Lebanon, and ultimately 
he became possessed of large landed estates, to the 
cultivation of which he devoted much of his time. 
Living in a fine mansion in the village of H added, 
about four hours' journey from Beyrout, the greater 
portion of which belonged to him, his house was at 
all times open to the traveller, whether poor or rich ; 
and indeed, no person ever passed his door without 
experiencing the hospitality of the owner. The chief 
objects of the Emir's attention were silkworms, of which 
he kept immense numbers. He was also celebrated 
for his fine breed of Arabian horses. Devoted to the 
pleasures of hunting wild boars in the neighbourhood 
of Damascus, and shooting, his great delight was a 
battue of partridges, for the perfect enjoyment of which 
an excellent system had been established. The unfor- 
tunate birds (of the red-legged species), having been 
gradually accustomed to be fed in a small open spot, 
whenever the Emir felt inclined for the sport, he 
ensconsed himself snugly behind a bush especially pre- 
pared for the purpose, and blazed away at his victims 
at his ease. It is quite certain that the Emir had not 
had the advantage of a sporting education in England, 
but it cannot be denied that the natural cunning of the 
man had led him to imitate closely a European practice. 
In other respects he was an ignorant and unlettered 
man ; his only accomplishments being a little reading 
and writing. 

When the Emir Beschir had been called upon to join 
the allies with his forces against Ibrahim Pacha, but 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



137 



was unable to comply with the call, Kasim collected 
all his followers and went down to the sea-coast to join 
Sir Charles Napier, who, in return, promised to make 
him Prince of Lebanon, and to add Beyrout and Sidon 
to his principality ; his losses in money and property 
were immense for Syria, but he listened to the promises 
of the English which were to the effect that he should 
be amply recompensed. These promises were, however, 
never fulfilled. The title of Prince of Lebanon was 
certainly granted him; but the disturbance before 
narrated broke out, and his removal was the result. It 
was imagined at the time that the political influence of 
another power outweighed that of England, and caused 
this measure to be brought about. On his arrival at 
Constantinople from Beyrout, the Prince was brought 
before the divan and called upon to answer certain 
charges brought against him. This he succeeded in 
doing to the satisfaction of the authorities, and he was 
accordingly acquitted ; but it was thought that his pre- 
sence amongst the mountaineers might again cause a 
revolt, and the government, therefore, ordered him to 
remain in Turkey. 

While in Constantinople I had laid his case before 
Lord Cowley, the British ambassador, who, upon ascer- 
taining the real state of affairs, promised to exert himself 
in his favour, which promise his lordship fulfilled to the 
utmost. The prince, not understanding the integrity of 
his lordship's character, and being a total stranger to the 
system of European diplomacy, wished to force on his 
lordship the acceptance of some very valuable Arab 
horses, which present, of course, was instantly refused. 
This very much astonished the Emir, who had all his life 
been accustomed to Oriental tactics in policy, in which 
such an argument was the only one ever likely to be pro- 
ductive of beneficial results. This, in fact, has been the 



138 



THE THISTLE AND 



system practised from the earliest ages up to the present 
date. We read in the Bible of the wife of Nabal riding 
forth from Carmel, accompanied with donkey-loads of 
presents, to meet David, in order that by soft words and 
rich gifts she might propitiate the king in her favour, 
and turn his wrath away from her husband. The 
meeting between J acob and Esau gives another instance 
of this method of conciliating favour being resorted to. 

The Emir remained for some time under surveillance 
at Constantinople, when, through the strenuous ex- 
ertions of Lord Cowley, a small pension was obtained 
from the Government. Some time after this, when I 
was in England, I received some letters and enclosures 
from him. 

After perusing the whole of the letters, I came to the 
resolution of delivering one intended for Sir Charles 
Napier personally. Sir Charles received me with the 
rough cordiality of an English sailor, and after a long 
conversation about the affairs of Syria, told me, that 
now he much regretted the part he had taken in Eastern 
politics, and promised to exert himself in favour of 
the Emir Beschir Kasim, and of Syria, at the same time 
exhibiting great interest for the welfare of its inhabi- 
tants. He applied to Lord Palmerston in behalf of the 
prince, and through his influence, after a long corre- 
spondence, instructions were forwarded to Sir Stratford 
Canning to exert himself in his favour ; but, during 
this interval, a severe illness had deprived my unfor- 
tunate friend of his sight. At length, through the 
kindness of Aali Pacha, the then minister for foreign 
affairs, permission was obtained for his return to Syria, 
upon the Emir undertaking to live there strictly as a 
private individual, and to interfere in no way with the 
politics of the country. He is now living on Mount 
Lebanon, where, at the advanced age of about eighty 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



139 



years, lie exerts himself as far as age will permit, in 
promoting the happiness of those around him. But to 
return to my narrative. 

During my stay at Constantinople, I was fortunate 
enough to make the acquaintance of many warm friends, 
and among others, of the lamented Lord William Clinton, 
who at that time, was fulfilling the duties of secretary to 
the embassy, also of Mr. Wood and Mr. Allison, who 
also had appointments at the embassy, Mr. Cumberbatch, 
the consul-general, and his brother. I further had the 
melancholy satisfaction of making the acquaintance of 
the late Doctor Bennett, chaplain to the embassy, a 
truly good man, and one who did credit to his creed. 

Dr. Bennett had a large family of sons and daugh- 
ters, all scattered about over the world. One is, I 
believe, now high in the East India Company's service 
in Bengal, another attached to the consulate at Varna ; 
one died in Suedia in December, 1850 ; and there is 
one, I believe, in England, who has embraced his 
father's profession and entered the ministry. Mrs. 
Bennett was a most exemplary wife; and I only regret 
that I have never been enabled to discover her address 
in England. From her I received my first impression 
in favour of English wives ; her never-tiring and affec- 
tionate attendance upon the good doctor when seized 
with his last fatal illness, seemed to me, who was then 
unaccustomed to the devotion displayed by English 
women in time of sickness, truly angelic, and quite 
disheartened me when drawing a comparison between 
them and my own countrywomen, ignorant of reading 
and writing, though doubtless, if educated, susceptible 
of all the more refined feelings of civilisation. 

Though on the point of falling desperately in love 
with one of the fair daughters of the land, this con- 



140 



THE THISTLE AND 



sideration effectually checked my enthusiasm. A lady- 
friend had given me an eloquent description of a young 
Greek damsel, to which I was more than half inclined 
to listen, when the example I have already quoted made 
me suddenly remember that such things were not to be 
hoped for save in an English wife. 

During my stay at Constantinople, I renewed my 
acquaintance with the Rev. Mr. Goodall, my former 
kind instructor, who had left Syria and come to reside 
in that city, where, in conjunction with the other 
American missionaries, he carried on his arduous duties 
with unremitting zeal. Though not long resident at 
Constantinople, I was witness on more than one occa- 
sion, to the havoc committed by the fires that are in- 
cessantly occurring. From one of these I myself was 
a severe sufferer. Once, whilst spending the evening 
with Lord W. Clinton, a fire broke out in the house 
next to his. As mine was only a few doors further off, 
I hastened away to rescue my property, and with the 
assistance of the hammahls, or porters, succeeded in 
removing it into the centre of a neighbouring field, 
where it would be out of harm's way. Having done 
this, I returned immediately to Lord Wm/s to give 
him what assistance I could in helping to remove his 
property to a place of safety. The fire committed 
fearful ravages. A whole quarter of Per a was destroyed. 
When it was at last extinguished, I hastened to look 
after my own property, but such had been the devas- 
tation committed by the flames, that the whole face of 
the district was changed, and I found it utterly im- 
possible to recognise any spot or mark which might 
afford the slightest clue as to the whereabouts of my 
late quarters, and thus lead to the recognition of the 
field. After a long and unsuccessful search, I was 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



141 



obliged to give the matter up, and I was thus deprived 
of the whole of my personal effects. This was in the 
winter of the year 1846. 

After some months' residence at Constantinople, 
through Lord Cowley's kind exertions with the Turkish 
government, I was sent to England, and was furnished 
with letters to Prince Callimaki, then ambassador at 
the court of St. James. Lord Cowley gave me a 
passage to Malta in an English war-steamer. We 
touched at Corfu, where I was so fortunate as to make 
the acquaintance of Lord Seaton, who at that time held 
the office of Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian 
Isles. Both himself and family treated me with the 
greatest hospitality. During my short stay, I had time 
to discover that his lordship's popularity amongst the 
residents was very great. 

From Corfu we came to Malta, where I had the 
pleasure of meeting several dear friends again. I 
stayed here for a fortnight, and on one occasion, I 
regret to say, I witnessed conduct most unusual in 
British officers, who, with few exceptions, I have found 
ever mindful of their position as gentlemen. One 
evening, at the theatre, a number of the junior officers 
were present, and, in spite of the quiet remonstrances 
of the audience persisted in placing their feet on the 
ledge in the front of the boxes. The Maltese at length 
became so exasperated that a number of them left the 
house and awaited the departure of the officers, when 
they assailed them in a most furious manner, and would 
certainly have inflicted serious injury upon them had 
not a guard arrived opportunely to separate the com- 
batants. At the height of the riot my curiosity was much 
excited on observing a peasant, who had struck down 
an officer, and seemed apparently about to follow up his 
attack, suddenly desist and render the utmost assistance 



142 



THE THISTLE AND 



to his late foe. Being slightly acquainted with the 
gentleman, I next day enquired what could have caused 
this change, and was much surprised to find that this 
strange occurrence arose from the peasant having, by a 
secret sign, discovered that the officer was a brother 
mason. I could not but admire a system productive of 
such benevolent results, and a few evenings after, 
happening to be dining with my friend, Captain Ford 
of the artillery, and understanding from him that he 
was engaged to attend a lodge on the island, I begged 
he would procure me admission. This he kindly con- 
sented to do, and I was, therefore, duly initiated. The 
kind feeling and brotherly love I have met with 
among masons, has rendered this event one of the 
happiest of my life. 

From Malta I came to England through France, via 
Marseilles. At Marseilles I put up at the Hotel De 
FEurope. Being at that time ignorant of the language, 
I found myself awkwardly situated, for shortly after my 
arrival, having washed my hands, I could find no place 
wherein to empty the basin, and being amongst stran- 
gers, I felt great diffidence and awkwardness in making 
known my wants. In this dilemma, I resorted to the 
expedient of throwing the water out of the window. I 
did so, and was chuckling at the success of my plan, 
when my attention was attracted by a great noise in 
the streets, and, to my surprise, I heard foot-steps and 
angry voices approaching my bed-room door. 

On their entering, I found that the water had unfor- 
tunately alighted on a French officer, who at that 
moment chanced to be passing in full-dress uniform. 
His indignation was such that I expected to be anni- 
hilated on the spot. I presume, however, that the 
people of the hotel would not permit him to wreak his 
vengeance on me, and so he contented himself by giving 



THE CEDAR OE LEBANON. 



143 



me into the charge of the police, who desired me the 
next day to appear before the magistrate (the com- 
plainant appearing in person). I of course made 
ample apologies through an interpreter, and the matter 
was at length satisfactorily settled. This officer and 
myself afterwards became very good friends ; he ex- 
plained to me that he had imagined I was an Arab from 
Africa, who had thus sought to revenge myself for 
injuries I might have received from their hands whilst 
in Algeria, and that this had determined him to have 
me punished, adding that had he known that I was a 
Syrian, and above all from Mount Lebanon, he would 
certainly have been disposed to be more lenient. This 
contretemps shewed me the necessity of being acquainted 
with the customs and languages of the places through 
which I might be necessitated to travel. 

I left Marseilles by the diligence, and was very sur- 
prised at the slow method of travelling adopted by the 
French people. As compared to the railroad transit in 
England, they seemed a century behind. The idea 
seems quite absurd that a country like France, which 
aspires to rivalry hi arts and sciences no less than in 
accomplishments, should compel unhappy travellers to 
lose three days in performing a distance that could 
almost be done in a few hours in England. 

I made a short stay at Paris, where I met with great 
kindness from the Ottoman ambassador, Suliman Pacha, 
and was lucky enough while there also to make the 
acquaintance of that celebrated statesman and profound 
scholar, M. Guizot. The author of The Consulate and 
the Empire, M. Thiers, also honoured me with his 
friendship. With this last eminent statesman I had 
a long and interesting conversation respecting the 
Syrian campaign of 1840, and he evinced a most lively 
interest in the fortunes of the grand Emir Beschir. 



144 



THE THISTLE AND 



Under the pretence of collecting money for the sufferers 
of Monnt Lebanon, an association was formed at that 
time in Paris, with the secret intention of making a 
tool of one of the Emir's family, and through his 
instrumentality exciting a rebellion amongst the in- 
habitants, and then taking advantage of their civil 
discord. 

Being a native of those parts, the ambassador thought 
that I could without exciting suspicion gain some infor- 
mation as to the real projects of these people. I 
obtained possession of a pamphlet, in which their bene- 
volent views were set forth as a blind to their pro- 
ceedings, from the treasurer of the society, with whom 
I was formerly acquainted, but who, ignorant of my 
intentions, declared its real purposes. Their object was 
to excite commotions, and through the medium of 
these civil discords to increase the influence of Trance 
in those parts. 

On my arrival in England in October, 1847, I pre- 
sented my letters of introduction to Prince Callimaki, 
who introduced me to the members of his suite. After 
some deliberation, the Prince and my English friends 
thought it would be better for my interests to study a 
profession than to remain simply attached to the 
Embassy : but they left it to me to choose what that 
profession should be. After mature reflection, I fixed 
upon surgery, which I thought would more than 
any other render my services of use to my fellow- 
countrymen. On making my choice known, the Prince 
and Mr. Zohrab kindly Undertook to consult with Mr. 
Benjamin Phillips, the eminent surgeon of Wimpole- 
street, to whom I was furnished with a letter of in- 
troduction. The parental conduct of this gentleman 
towards me I shall ever call to mind with the deepest 
veneration, and in the phraseology of my countrymen, 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



145 



the ashes of my bones will not cease to retain this feeling. 
It was at last determined that I should reside with Mr. 
Drewitt, of Curzon-street, May-fair ; this gentleman and 
his kind-hearted lady exerted themselves to the utmost 
to procure my comfort and further my views, and 
whilst under their hospitable roof, I enjoyed every 
domestic happiness. 

In order still further to advance my interests, the 
Prince Callimaki, Mr. Phillips, and other Mends, most 
kindly addressed letters to the Directors of King's 
College, introducing me to them, and stating my 
earnest wish to attend the valuable lectures of this 
institution. In reply, the much respected principal, 
Dr. Jelf, immediately sent me an admission to the 
College, and he himself received me in the most 
generous and noble manner, and exhorted me to use 
my endeavours to persuade my countrymen to follow 
my example. 

I now regularly attended these lectures, and from 
both professors and students, received every civility and 
attention. At first my repugnance to the dissecting- 
room was so great and overpowering, that I went to 
the prince and earnestly besought of him to let me 
relinquish the profession, telling him that I thought it 
quite an act of barbarity thus to mutilate the dead. 
The prince, however, after many arguments, induced 
me to persevere a little longer. I took his advice, and 
soon found that this feeling of repugnance gradually 
subsided j nay, more than this, I began to take peculiar 
pleasure in the study, when the whole magnitude of 
its wonderful philosophy burst upon my understanding. 
One day a trifling accident occurred to me — trifling 
in appearance, but which very nearly terminated 
fatally. The event, however, was productive of one 

H 



146 



THE THISTLE AND 



good result, it shewed me the sincere and unaffected 
esteem of English Mends, and made me happy in the 
knowledge that I was fortunate enough to have 
hundreds, even in England, deeply interested in my 
welfare. 

Whilst assisting in the dissecting-room in November 
1849, I accidentally pricked my finger with a poisoned 
knife, but being engaged on that day to dine with the 
excellent and good Lord Cranworth, the present Lord 
Chancellor, the hospitalities of that nobleman and the 
cheering music of his lady and her sister, Lady 
Eardley, entirely drove the circumstance from my 
memory. This was the ninth of November, and I 
was engaged to join the festivities at the Guildhall in 
the evening. At midnight, whilst in the midst of my 
enjoyment, I was seized with sudden illness, and my 
good friend, the late Sir Felix Booth, immediately 
sent me home in his carriage. After a night of extreme 
wretchedness and misery, I next morning summoned 
around me a host of my medical acquaintances ; but 
these, alas ! were but Job's comforters, for they one 
and ail assured me, that should erysipelas supervene, 
death would be the certain result. I need not here 
relate the depressing effect this news had upon my 
already exhausted spirits. 

My English friends may smile at what I am now 
about to relate, but the impression made at that 
period on my mind was so great, that I cannot 
refrain from mentioning the matter. 

While in my own country (according to the uni- 
versal custom of the inhabitants), I had sought to 
dive into the secrets of futurity through the aid of a 
munajjim, or magician, who predicted that on a Friday I 
should be seized with a dangerous illness or be shot, either 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



147 



purposely or by accident, and that in all probability 
either misfortune would prove fatal to me. In my almost 
helpless state, this circumstance coming vividly to my 
mind, was all-sufficient to have brought about the 
foretold result, for it certainly for some time hindered 
my recovery. I sent for a Syrian friend and made my 
will, and he committed to paper all my good wishes 
towards my kindred at home. 

During this sad time, my first English friend, the 
Hon. and Rev. Baptist Noel was most indefatigable in 
his attentions ; and this good man comforted me with 
prayers, and taught me to lean on the word of Grod for 
comfort and succour, not only in this affliction, but in 
every tribulation. I likewise received a visit from 
Cardinal "Wiseman, who, meeting my friend and medical 
adviser, Mr. Phillips, at the door, asked permission to 
see me. This was reluctantly granted, and only upon 
condition that the cardinal should attend to my spiri- 
tual concerns, and leave my corporeal cure to Mr. P. 
My illness continued for three months, but at last, 
through the untiring labours of Mr. Phillips, and under 
the Divine blessing, I was once more restored to 
health. 

My apartments were every day besieged by numbers 
of kind friends, who called to ascertain the state of my 
health, and to leave me fruits, and such tokens of esteem 
as they thought most acceptable to an invalid. 

I well remember that, at a period during the most 
dangerous part of my illness, I called to mind that, in 
my country, a superstition was prevalent, that the broth 
made from a young black cock, whose head must be 
severed by a knife with one stroke from the body, was 
very efficacious in curing such cases as mine ; and my 
strict injunctions and earnest entreaties to those around 



THE THISTLE AND 



me to prepare me this broth, must have made them 
imagine me imbecile. 

Before quitting this subject, I must here record my 
grateful thanks to Mr. Zohrab, the Turkish consul- 
general, and his lady, whose friendship and kindness to 
me upon all occasions I can never sufficiently acknow- 
ledge. On my partial recovery, they insisted on my 
taking up my abode at their mansion at Hampstead, 
and owing to their kind attentions and recherche fare, 
I soon recovered my strength. 

The 12th of April, 1850, was one of the proudest 
days of my life. On that day I had the great honour 
of being admitted a member of the Royal College of 
Surgeons of London, and whilst yet blushing beneath 
my new honours, more came pouring upon my head. 
I went to King's College on the 27th of the same 
month to witness the distribution of prizes, and there I 
had the pleasure of meeting the amiable and learned 
professor, Doctor J elf ; from him I was surprised and 
delighted to learn, that, listening to his kind recom- 
mendation of my attention to studies and lectures, His 
Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury had been graciously 
pleased to confer upon me the honour of being an 
associate of the college. 

About this time, finding that my friend the Mir Shah- 
amet Ali intended to visit the north of England, 
I availed myself of the opportunity and joined him in 
the excursion. This gentleman was the most remarkable 
stranger I have met with in England ; he was a native 
of Delhi, where he received his education. The Mir 
was a most intelligent and learned man, and had 
travelled much in Bengal with Sir Claude Wade, whom 
he had accompanied to the Punjaub and Bahawalpur, 
when that gentleman went there for the purpose of 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



149 



negcciating with those States for throwing open the 
navigation of the Indus and the Sutledge. The Mir 
was afterwards sent with presents from the English 
Government to the court of Lahore, and he subse- 
quently published, in English, two books, the " Sikhs 
and Affghans" and a "History of Bahawalpur," 
besides one or two little pamphlets on Indian affairs ; 
he also long held the situation of Mir Moonshee in the 
upper provinces. 

Perhaps I may here be allowed to give an anecdote 
illustrative of London haut ton and society, showing 
how scrupulous they are, and how a stranger may inad- 
vertently fall into disrepute, and also, how easily a 
foreigner, by slight mistakes, may suffer severe conse- 
quences. I once, mistaking the designation of my 
friend, the Mir, introduced him at the houses of some 
religious fashionables as a prince, supposing the term 
Mir, in Hindustani, to be equivalent to the word Emir 
in Arabic. A friend told me that I had been accused 
of introducing myself as a prince, a circumstance aris- 
ing, I suppose, from this incident. 

But to return to the Mir, he came to this country to 
obtain a better insight into European manners and 
society. Her Majesty the Queen of England was 
graciously pleased to receive him, and he was presented 
at court by General Duncan Macleod of the Indian 
army, whose engineering talents have been so justly 
admired as exemplified in the splendid palace erected 
under his sole direction for the Nawab of Moorshedabad. 
During this presentation, a very pleasant incident oc- 
curred, illustrative to the Mir of the urbanity of Scottish 
aristocracy. Being very much struck with the splendid 
Highland costume of one of the gentlemen present, the 
Mir wished to be allowed to inspect it nearer, when 



150 



THE THISTLE AND 



General Macleod, with characteristic amiability, apolo- 
getically explained to the object of his admiration how 
much his protege, the oriental, was struck with his 
appearance. The chieftain very good-naturedly invited 
the Mir to approach, adding, " Perhaps you would like 
to see a chieftain's wife also," and forthwith introduced 

him to his lady, the Duchess of -. 

As may readily be conceived, it was most agreeable 
for me to travel about with such a companion as the 
Mir. We visited all the manufacturing districts to- 
gether. The Mir was indefatigable, active, enquiring, 
and desirous of obtaining knowledge in every acquirable 
shape. We proceeded to Birmingham, where we were 
received by our consul, Mr. Collis, and entertained at 
his house during our sojourn ; he shewed us whatever 
sights in that wonderful town he deemed at all inte- 
resting to us. The various places we travelled through 
are so familiar to my English readers, that, to relate 
them all, would prove tedious. Suffice it that we got 
on very well together till we were one day leaving 
Sheffield for Edinburgh. At Sheffield we had nearly 
exhausted our funds in purchasing cutlery, etc., so that 
when we came to the railway- station we had not enough 
ready money between us to pay our fare onward to 
Edinburgh. We were, however, bearers of letters of 
credit, and stating our circumstances to the head 
booking-clerk, he kindly consented to allow us to pro- 
ceed by the train on condition that we paid on arriving 
in Edinburgh. Accordingly we took our seats in the 
carriage, and began to condole with each other on the 
awkwardness of our position. There was only one other 
person besides ourselves in the carriage, and this gentle- 
man, though a perfect stranger, kindly came forward 
and pressed upon us the use of his purse. After some 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



151 



little altercation and hesitation, Mir Shahamet Ali 
and myself agreed to borrow five pounds of this worthy 
stranger on condition that we should be permitted to 
return it immediately after our arrival at Edinburgh. 
Our promise to pay was, as the reader may imagine, 
promptly met. This stranger proved to be Mr. Walker, 
the celebrated engineer, of Great George- street, and on 
returning from London to Scotland, I called to thank 
this estimable gentleman for his unsolicited kindness to 
myself and friend ; and through this slight incident, I 
still enjoy his friendship and acquaintance. 

While in Edinburgh, we were much delighted at our 
visit to Holyrood in its quiet and decayed grandeur — 
majestic with age — replete with tragic and romantic 
reminiscences. This impressed us much, and the whole 
aspect of Edinburgh, especially as viewed by night, 
struck us as singularly oriental, and we, in imagination, 
could with ease have conjured up some additions to the 
Arabian Nights. The dim outline of the castle on the 
rock — the old town, dark and confused beneath, whilst 
on the opposite height, row upon row of twinkling or 
brilliant lights flashed across the sight; these might 
have made one easily suppose that the grovelling 
creatures of earth inhabited the lower portion, guarded 
by some portentously frowning power; whilst above 
danced the fairies in their exquisite mother's light 
(called by the common people, " Bonnie Jumpers ") ; 
and in the new town dwelt the Magi, all illumination, 
life, light, and splendour. The hospitality and warmth 
of kindness of the Scotch to us strangers, was irresis- 
tibly gratifying, and we were most kindly entertained 
by many of them. 

In our walks, the boys frequently screamed after 
and cheered us, loudly vociferating, Ibrahim Pacha ! I 



152 



THE THISTLE AND 



presume that they had heard of him, and imagined that 
every Oriental must be the man. The English almost 
invariably, even amongst the better classes, call every- 
body that weares a fez or tarboush, a Turk, much upon 
the same principle as our people class every one with a 
hat (chapeau), Franji, or a man from European countries, 
without distinction as to sect, creed, nationality, or the 
vast variety that exists amongst both people of govern- 
ment, laws, manners and histories. The English also 
have an idea that every one wearing a turban must be a 
follower of Mahomed. Apropos of this subject, I may 
here recount an anecdote which will doubtless amuse 
my readers. 

One day when I was at the hospital, there was a 
woman waiting for a surgical operation to be performed. 
After explaining its nature, the surgeon, much to my 
delight, asked me to perform the needful operation. 
Up to this moment the woman was lying on a bed 
perfectly resigned, and with both hands clasped over 
her eyes. No sooner, however, did I take up the 
instruments, and draw near to perform the needful 
service, than she started up in bed, and glaring wildly 
at me with terror depicted in her countenance, and 
doubtless alarmed at my Oriental garb and beard, 
she screamed out with all her might, "The Turk ! The 
Turk ! The Turk is going to cut me !" Nor could 
any arguments of mine persuade her to submit to the 
operation at my hands. 

My friend, Shahamet Ali, had for some time rented 
a cottage at Ryde, in the Isle of Wight, where 
on our return he invited me to pass a few days. I 
cordially accepted this invitation, and whilst at Ryde 
had the happiness of meeting Lord and Lady Downes, 
together with Sir Claude Wade and his amiable lady, from 
all of whom I received much kindness, which has not 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



153 



ceased to this day. My visit to Kyde extended over a 
month, and my friend, Shahamet Ali, was dining that 
time making his arrangements for a journey to Constan- 
tinople and thence to Mecca, which last place he visited 
for the express purpose of purifying himself, he having 
mixed so much with Christians that his religion 
required his pilgrimage thither. I accompanied him 
as far as Paris, where I left with him letters of intro- 
duction, and amongst them one to the venerable Emir 
Beschir Kasiin at Constantinople. 

\Ve both were much pleased with the Parisians. Xo 
introduction was needed — our position in society was a 
passport everywhere. The French are so amiable, an 
decani de vous ; perfect in grace, fascination and toilette ■ 
more cheerful, and perhaps warmer-hearted than the 
English — but far less stable. A Frenchman may form 
a violent attachment to a person to-day, and to-morrow 
be wholly indifferent as to his whereabouts or welfare. 
An Englishman may be some months before he evinces 
the least symptoms of even a partiality ; but when a 
friendship really exists, you may count upon its sincerity 
and continuance. 

I returned to London and remained for some time, 
when my good friend, Mahomed Pacha, being recalled 
to Constantinople, it was arranged that I should return 
to Paris and reside there, under the guidance of 
Prince Callimaki. Amongst others whose acquain- 
tance I had the honour of making in France, was 
that of M. Lamartine, the great admirer of Lebanon, 
whom I had met in Syria. \Te were mutually pleased 
to renew our friendship. He wrote a very flowery 
letter to the Sultan Abdul Medjid, in which he said 
that having a map before him of all that mighty 
potentate's dominions, he had fixed upon a little spot 

h 5 



154 



THE THISTLE AND 



in Syria (Lebanon) , whither he would wish to with- 
draw himself from the turmoil and strife of life to 
settle down ; but the Turkish government, considering 
that the Maronites, who already possessed much 
influence through French protection, might choose 
him as their prince, consequently, in lieu of the 
small bit of ground begged for in Syria, presented 
him with an immense tract of fertile ground in Asia 
Minor, where the poet-statesman of France might sow 
every seed, save the seed of political discord, which 
in such a wilderness would never take root. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



155 



CHAPTER IX. 

VISIT TO PARIS. 

Orientals who visit Paris for the first time are at a 
loss to conceive anything more magnificent than its 
streets and its palaces and gardens. After having been 
in England, however, their opinion is materially altered, 
though I must still admit that there are some striking 
features in Paris; amongst these, the Boulevards, 
Champs Elysees, Tuilleries, and the Luxembourg, are 
the most attractive. Of the greater part of the streets of 
Paris I can say but little ; and there are some so filthy, 
narrow, and almost impassable, as to outstrip the 
meanest town in Turkey. Nothing but the uncouth 
wooden sabots of the French could at any season 
traverse them. Though I must acknowledge that 
nothing can surpass the easy elegance and refinement 
of the higher classes of society. It would appear, from 
what a poor countryman of mine told me, tl*at the 
second-rate lodging-houses are miserable in the extreme. 
One would imagine, from his description that they went 
to the opposite extreme of luxury. Complaining bitterly 
of his fate, for he had all his life before been accus- 
tomed to opulent independance in Lebanon, he wrote 
to me the other day as follows, viz. : — 

"The disagreeable first-impression made upon my 
mind on first taking possession of my lodgings here 
(Paris), was the melancholy resemblance existing 



156 



THE THISTLE AND 



between my chimney-place and a Syrian church-yard, 
for I can assure you that its shape resembles exactly 
one of our ordinary tombstones. For the first few 
nights I hardly dared look at it before going to bed, 
lest I should have my rest broken by dreams of spectres 
and other horrid sprites of the imagination. In ad- 
dition to its disagreeable appearance, it smokes so 
terribly that I dare not light a fire, though shivering 
with cold, lest I should lose my eyesight from the 
effects of the smoke ; but this is not all ; the door will 
not shut well, the floorings are of damp bricks, and the 
rooms are built without respect to proportion, elegance, 
or comfort. The house I am living in is eight stories 
high, and heigho !. poor me, I live on the fourth floor, 
so that I have a hundred steps to mount up and down 
a dozen times a-day. The greatest nuisance of all is, 
that the street door is continually being left open, so 
that any one given to pilfering is at perfect liberty to 
walk up and down stairs and help himself to whatever 
the fates may throw in his way. There certainly is 
nominally a concierge. This old worthy, however, is 
either so engrossed with an old newspaper or so com- 
fortably napping, that he is perfectly unconscious of all 
passing around him. 

" I have vainly complained to him of this negligence, 
and pointed out the inconvenience and interruption I 
was perpetually being exposed to by people rapping 
at my door, under the pretext of inquiring if M. So- 
and-so lodged there, but evidently with the intention 
of finding out if there was any one within to hinder 
their forcing an entrance. His invariable reply used 
to be, ' Eh bien ! que voulez vous que je fasse. 3 There 
are no bells, so that I may die in a fit, or be burnt to 
death before any assistance could be obtained." 



THE CEDAR OP LEBANON. 



157 



Such is the deplorable picture drawn by my poor 
friend, who on the other hand, lauds up to the skies 
lodgings of a similar class in London, and as he is a 
sharp, acute man, I have little doubt but that he is 
correct in his ideas. 

What surprised me very much in Paris was the 
apparent ignorance of the French with regard to the 
cities and toAvns of the Holy Land. I forgot at that 
period that they were restricted from reading their 
Bibles, and that consequently very few of them were 
likely to have the names of places, and people familiar 
to the English and ourselves, so firmly impressed upon 
their minds. My appearance and costume never 
excited curiosity. When they asked me whence I 
came from, and I answered Syria, the word made no 
impression on them. 

" Where is that ?" said one man to another in my 
hearing. 

" Ma fois je ne sais pas vous dire — unless it be some 
obscure village in Algeria which our colonists have not 
yet explored." 

Of course the higher classes are not guilty of such 
ignorance, for who could have thrown a better light 
on the beauties and localities of Syria than the learned 
and amiable Lamartine, whose accurate work, Souvenirs 
de I' Orient, is deservedly popular over Europe. 

I have many pleasant souvenirs of the friends I met 
in Paris. The hospitable reunions of His Excellency 
the Turkish ambassador — the kindness of the American 
representative, Mr. Rives, — the brilliant balls I was 
iuvited to by various families of fashion — and an 
adventure at the hotel V. — never to be forgotten, and 
which it is my intention at some future period to 
publish, which I have no doubt will interest many of 



158 



THE THISTLE AND 



my English readers — all these I recall with plea- 
sure, and I avail myself of this opportunity with 
gladness to thank my many friends in Paris for the 
courtesy and kindness I have ever met with at their 
hands. But putting these aside as elegant exceptions, 
I prefer on the whole England, and the friendship of 
an Englishman to that of a Frenchman, — the private 
character of the former has a sounder foundation, and 
they know how to appreciate real moral, domestic 
comfort and happiness, such as our countrymen seek 
for and find amongst the citron groves and gardens of 
Syria. 

Now it can barely be said that a Frenchman knows 
what domestic bliss signifies, or that he has any real 
philosophic reflections and pleasures. With him the 
Cafe is a sine qua non ; he may have an amiable and 
charming wife, a young and attractive family, every 
charm of domestic happiness that should link his heart 
and thoughts with home, and draw him towards it as 
the only true and rational source of enjoyment; but he 
leaves all these, and looks upon them as insipid ; his sole 
delight is to wander about from cafe to cafe, varying his 
amusements by an occasional game at billiards or a petit 
verre, else he strays* from theatre to operas, from operas 
to balls, and some of the wealthier classes live for weeks, 
and sometimes months, in the country in the strictest 
seclusion, practising an economy amounting to penuri- 
ousness, in order that they may, on their return to 
town, be enabled to gratify this passion. The wives of 
these gentlemen, continually deserted, left to them- 
selves, and naturally of a gay turn, which in many 
instances arises from neglect of a proper moral 
education, form those liaisons with others, which are 
publicly known and talked about with the utmost 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



159 



nonchalance, and which, in my humble opinion, are an 
outrage to the name of Christianity, and a disgrace to 
a nation acknowledged in every other respect to stand 
high in the scale of civilisation. I cannot describe 
what a painful effect it has upon the mind of Syrian 
strangers to witness such things countenanced in France; 
they leave the country with very poor opinions of its 
civilisation — poorer still of its Christianity ; and they 
disseminate these opinions amongst our own people on 
their return to Syria ; hence it arises that oftentimes 
the poorer and more ignorant inhabitants of Syria, who 
cannot distinguish one European nation from another^ 
but who set all down under the head of Franks, and 
suppose all to be of one creed and manner of thinking, 
are apt to imagine that the English are only next-door 
to infidels, and consequently a people to be feared, if 
not entirely avoided; but this is an error which I will 
occupy myself to rectify, as soon as I can find time to 
distribute tracts in Syria descriptive of the laws, man- 
ners, customs, and religions, of the different European 
nations of Europe. 

But to return to the French, or rather the middle 
classes of the French. I found it almost invariably 
the case that should a Frenchman invite you to a cafe, 
he does so in the full expectation that you in your 
turn will give him a treat. His character is incon- 
sistency personified — he is fickle and capricious — he 
enters freely into conversation with you, and lets you 
into all his secrets during the first five minutes of his 
acquaintance, and he entertains you with a string of 
personal adventures. With him every one is mon cher ! 
mon brave ! mon ami ! He could kiss and hug you 
on parting, and swears eternal fidelity. The next 
day his ardour has cooled — the third he restricts 



160 



THE THISTLE AND 



himself to a bow — the fourth, and he mingles with the 
crowd — and you never meet him again perhaps in a 
life time. 

For a ball-room society give me Paris — for a quiet 
untiring friend, give me England. And of the two my 
heart prefers the latter. 

From France I travelled to Vienna. After delivering 
my letters to the minister in that city, I proceeded to 
Constantinople. On arriving there I took up my 
abode with my old friend the Emir Sayid, the grandson 
of the Emir Beschir. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



161 



CHAPTER X. 

IMPRESSIONS OF ENGLAND. 

Many of mv fair friends have been exceedingly 
anxious for me to give them my first impressions of 
England. After so long a residence in the country, I 
must confess my habits have become completely 
Anglicised j I have, however, the pleasure of offering 
them a translation of portions of some letters written 
to a friend at Constantinople during my first visit to 
England : — 

"You asked me, before leaving Staniboul, to 
convey to you as well as I could by letter, my first 
impressions of England and the English. Your Excel- 
lency can hardly conceive the difficulty of the task 
which you have allotted me. However arduous the 
midertaking may be, I shall endeavour, to the best 
of my poor abilities, to satisfy your curiosity, and fulfil 
my rash promise. In our own dear village, and in- 
deed in the most active and bustling towns of Syria, 
the silence and monotony of the houses are only 
occasionally broken in upon by the busy hum of human 



162 



THE THISTLE AND 



voices — the clattering hoofs of horses and mules — the 
braying of donkeys, and the merry tinkling bell of the 
caravan. The sweet song of the bulbul and other sum- 
mer birds, with the buzzing of the honey-bee, are the 
familiar sounds to which we are from our infancy 
accustomed. Stately forest trees — mountains and hills 
— valleys and dales — citron groves and orchards — the 
bright plumage of birds and the painted wings of 
butterflies are the every- day pictures, furnished by the 
hand of nature, and on which alone our eyes have been 
content to dwell. The sound of chariot wheels have 
through centuries been hushed and sunk into oblivion, 
together with the fiery-spirited warriors that guided 
them. Such is the quiet state of affairs in our own 
loved country Syria. Now, therefore, imagine yourself 
blindfolded and transported as though by magic into 
the very centre of the city of London. 

" Previously, however, a vast extent of ocean has to 
be traversed, which is accomplished in an incredibly 
short space of time, during which period much suffer- 
ing from sea-sickness is to be expected, and many are 
compelled to keep to their cabins, creeping only upon 
deck occasionally to cheer the heart with a distant 
glimpse of land, as Malta and Gibraltar have appeared 
to view, and as speedily vanished from sight, leaving, 
like the false mirage, no trace behind. At last the 
shores of Ingleterra are discerned. The announcement 
is heard with indescribable delight, for the term of 
purgatory is about to expire. Well wrapped in a bur- 
noos, for, although midsummer, the air is keen, you 
scramble upon deck, and being comfortably seated, 
take a first survey of the famed shores of Britain. As 
far as the eye can stretch the whole land appears to be 
what is really the case, in a high state of cultivation. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



163 



Houses and windmills innumerable meet the view, and 
a vast number of smoking minarets, whicli on inquiry- 
prove to be the chimneys of countless factories. But 
you are not left long to consider these matters — what 
is occurring in the more immediate vicinity of the 
steamer rivets your attention. Thousands of vessels of 
all sizes, shapes, and nations, are moving up and down 
the channel. Gigantic men-of-war steamers — still 
larger mail-packets, ships-of-the-line, frigates, sloops, 
gun-brigs, Indiamen, schooners, barks, boats, all puffing 
and sailing, pitching and rolling, and getting entangled 
with one another in the most alarming manner. 
Frenchmen shouting and screaming to fishing-boats — 
Italians stamping at pilots — Greeks throwing their red 
caps overboard, pulling their hair in despair at not 
being able to make themselves understood. In short, 
the confusion of this Babel of tongues is so great that 
you stand and look on stupified and bewildered with 
amazement, and so overcome with alarm and the novelty 
of the thing, that you have ceased to watch the ship's 
progress till the anchor is down, and you find yom"self 
in the custom-house surrounded by boxes and inquisitive 
people, whilst thunder seems to .be rolling along the 
streets outside. 

"A kind friend passes your baggage through the cus- 
tom-house and hurries you into a cab, so imbecile and 
helpless have you become. If you had eyes all round 
your head, they would not suffice to look at the people 
and the sights in the streets. Thousands of people are 
pushing and running, and shouting and walking, in 
every direction \ hundreds of carriages, three and four 
abreast, blocking up every thoroughfare. Now come 
waggons and carts of every description, omnibuses 
innumerable, and cabs ; all these being the arabaz, or 



164 



THE THISTLE AND 



wheeled conveyances, varying in size, shape, and colour, 
the number of wheels on which they move, and the 
number of horses by which they are drawn; some 
conveying mountains of bale goods, others laden with 
beer-barrels, whilst some are exclusively for the use of 
passengers. The noise created by these numerous 
vehicles jolting over the hard roads is greater than the 
roar of the sultan's artillery. What are all these people 
come oat to see? — is your first natural enquiry. Is 
there a fire, or has there been an earthquake, or are all 
the suburban villages and towns pouring in their mul- 
titudes to witness some grand spectacle? You are 
inclined to doubt your friend when he tells you that 
this is an every-day occurrence in London; but ex- 
perience proves him to be correct. Wallah yar effendem. 
If Stamboul were in flames, and all the Sultan's harem 
burning, there could not be a greater concourse of 
people than may every day be encountered, between 
the hours of three and five, in one single street of 
London, and all the other hundred streets are almost 
equally well filled. Men, women, and children, all 
busy, all intent on some errand or occupation. Perhaps 
few, if any, of the vast crowd you encounter have come 
out simply for air and exercise. The reason for all this 
is, that London is a very dear city, talent plentiful, 
occupation scarce, so that every one is obliged to depend 
upon his own individual active exertions to enable him 
to procure even a crumb of bread, lnshallah Bukera 
(to-morrow, please God) is a phrase wholly disregarded 
in England, and not to be found in an Englishman's 
vocabulary. If you were to put off till tomorrow what 
might be done to-day, you would find yourself a 
beggar. 

" The English run a race with time ; and though they 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



165 



cannot catch and overtake him, they keep close upon 
his heels. An old merchant dies at eighty, who, from 
the age of eleven or twelve, has been hard at work six 
days in every week from ten in the morning till four in 
the evening, amassing wealth, leaving riches, a good 
name, and a vast inheritance behind him. That man 
has made more use of his time than five hundred of the 
most active of our countrymen; and there are a 
thousand instances of such as these to be met with in 
the city. 

"But whilst we have been thinking about this, the cab 
stops opposite to a splendid seraiyah, a veritable palace. 
You imagine that this must be the Queen's residence, and 
begin to expostulate with your friend for ushering you 
into the presence of royalty before you have had time 
to pay some attention to your toilet ; he laughs at your 
ignorance. Two gentlemen, handsomely dressed and 
without hats, rush into the street and officiously carry 
in your luggage. You are quite shocked to see the 
nobility thus debased, and struggle with them to relieve 
them of their burden. The friend again interferes, and 
you find, to your amazement, that the palace is nothing 
more than a large khan for the accommodation of 
wealthy travellers, and that the two gentlemanly-looking 
men are khuddmeen, and that there are at least a dozen 
more, all in the same capacity, all as well dressed and 
as good-looking. You are then ushered into a room 
splendidly famished ; mirrors and chandeliers, tables 
and chairs, pictures and divans, all in profusion, and 
the commonest article in the room worth at least one 
thousand piastres. Your friend touches a spring, a bell 
rings in the distance, the door opens, and a houri enters. 
This must be the lady of the palace ; but she is young 
and tender as a dove, and blushes like the rose of 



166 



THE THISTLE AND 



Damascus in acknowledging your salams. Alas ! even 
this beautiful creature is one of the khuddmeen, and you 
sigh to hear your friend order her to bring up a scuttle 
of coals, whose black dust cannot but soil her snowy 
and taper-like fingers. It takes you a good week to 
settle down into anything like peace and comfort, or to 
get accustomed to the ways of the place and the hours 
for eating and sleeping. It takes you a month to 
reconcile yourself to the perpetual roaring and din in 
the streets, occasioned by the countless vehicles passing 
and repassing in the streets. 

" At last, however, you feel tired of being shut up 
alone, and ordering a carriage, step into it, and bid the 
driver take you to one of the fashionable drives. You 
go on at a rapid pace for a few hundred yards, and 
then there is a dead halt ; vexed at this, you stand up 
in the carriage to endeavour to discover the cause, and 
then a sight meets the view quite sufficient to paralyse 
a stranger. In front, as far as the sight can reach ; 
and behind, as far as the eye can see, as well as 
as on either side of you, is one dense forest of human 
beings, horses, donkeys, carts, carriages, waggons, 
chimney-sweeps. Officers, lords and ladies, policemen 
and rabble. You move slowly along as though you 
were in a funeral procession, until a favourable oppor- 
tunity presents itself for the coachman to display his 
skill, and then he dashes at full speed through carriages, 
and carts, so close together that none but his expe- 
rienced eye could ever have imagined it possible to 
squeeze one's way through uninjured. Expecting every 
instant to be crushed to death, you throw yourself back 
in the carriage, and shut your eyes on what was too 
fearful to look upon. By-and-by the easier motion of the 
carriage re-assures you — you look up, you have been 



THE CEDAU OF LEBANON. 



167 



disentangled from the dense crowd, and are driving 
along in comparative solitude through street after street 
of magnificent palaces. By-and-by, you pass through a 
square, and the verdure of a few trees comes like a 
refreshing shower to the seared up heart, and recalls to 
mind the lovely home of our ancestors in Lebanon. 
After awhile we emerge from the turmoil and smoke, 
and dust of the city, and lo ! before you, a magnificent 
garden— such a one as the Pacha of Damascus would 
be proud of. Real, fine, stately trees, and plenty of 
grass— plots of flowers, and imitation rivers and lakes, 
covered too with wild ducks, and geese, and numberless 
other water fowl, now become so domesticated however, 
that you see them running out of the water at the 
approach of little children who carry baskets full of 
crumbs to feed them with. 

" Here, in roads railed, off the fashionable world 
drive and ride about for a few hours every evening in 
the season. A carriage passes with two houris in it, 
whose faces leave an impression on your heart, which 
latter is as malletable as wax. Another carriage, and 
two still more beautiful — a few minutes afterwards 
three pass at the same moment, with such eyes that 
the glances from them emit brilliant sparks of love ; 
but there is no end to the houris and no end to the 
heart-aches, so we bid the driver speed home again, 
and close our eyes, firmly determined not to be exposed 
to any fresh onslaught from these houris — these daugh- 
ters of the finest people in the world. Arrived at home, 
dinner is served in magnificent style. The silver dishes, 
and the knives and forks — the spoons, etc., would alone 
suffice to purchase a property in Lebanon that would 
yield you or me, a comfortable revenue for life; and 
as the thought strikes me, I sicken at the waste and 



168 



THE THISTLE AND 



splendour whilst millions are starving in the world; 
and though the dishes are excellent and rare, and well 
chosen, I would willingly resign them all for one good 
Syrian pillaf, and the pleasure of a chibuk, and a few 
minutes' chat with your Excellency. 



u Nothing is more difficult than for a stranger to form 
acquaintances in London, unless he is furnished with 
good letters of introduction, or holds an official position. 
In the latter case, his rank at once entitles him to the 
entree of a certain circle of society. Being the guest of 
a nobleman or some notable man, is a passport into the 
society of his list of acquaintances ; and once having 
been introduced, your number of friends is rapidly 
augmented. Thus, supposing I dine at Mr. P — 's to- 
day, there, amongst others, I meet Mr. W -. This 

gentleman invites me to his house, and there I find an 
entirely new set, who, in their turn, again introduce 
me to their friends and acquaintances. English ladies 
are the stars of English society. The married and 
elder ladies I may term the planets ; their destinies are 
fixed, and they are placed in one particular position for 
life; but true to this theory, like planets, they emit 
flashes of brilliant light ; their language is refined, their 
manners fascinating, their bearing commanding respect, 
their conversation agreeable and instructive, and their 
wit brilliant and full of pith. The young ladies are 
the satellites that revolve round these planets, more 
brilliant in the pride of youth and beauty, more active, 
and much gayer; their hearts would hardly counter- 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



169 



balance a feather. Poor doves ! affliction and the trials 
of life hare as yet no stamp on the soft waxwork texture 
of their sensitive affections ; they talk and laugh, and 
ride and dance with young men without the least 
restraint, and the voice of calumny is never heard. 
How different from our poor, ignorant countrymen ! 
What would all the old men and women of Lebanon 
say, if their daughters and granddaughters were seen 
taking long solitary rides and walks with the young 
men ? With us, in the present uncivilised state of 
affairs, such liberties would be highly improper ; but 
it is vastly different in England and Europe, where 
men and women are, from early childhood, educated 
with the strictest attention to morality as well as 
accomplishments. Girls of fifteen have sufficient con- 
fidence in their own strength of mind, and in the 
integrity and high honour of those with whom they 
associate, ever to feel embarrassed in the society of 
young men, though these young men be comparative 
strangers ; they know themselves to be ladies, and that 
their associates are gentlemen; and in England these 
two words comprise everything that is virtuous and 
honourable. 

" The smallest deviation from the rigid path of re- 
ligious virtue or worldly honour is visited with the 
severest penalty, and the delinquent is irrevocably lost , 
and for ever excluded from the pale of society. With 
such a punishment hanging over their heads, apart from 
the natural instinct to virtue, a faux-pas is rare indeed 
amongst the highest classes of society. 

" Ladies are the leading features j many of them are 
renowned for great literary acquirements ; most are 
accomplished; and the highest honours are inwardly 
awarded them by the opposite sex. If a lady enters a 

i 



170 



THE THISTLE AND 



room, all the gentlemen rise from their seats, nor will 
they be seated again until she has chosen one for her- 
self. If a lady drops a handkerchief, the men all rush 
to pick it up, so as to save her the trouble of stooping ; 
when she speaks, all are attentive ; and when she sings 
and plays, the whole company are hushed into such 
profound silence, that you might hear a pin drop. 

"When dinner, supper, or whatever the repast may 
be, is announced, the master of the house leads out the 
lady highest in rank present, the others being handed 
out by respective gentlemen; the lady of the house 
remaining till the last, when she is conducted to the 
refreshment, room by the gentleman of the highest rank 
present. In England men and women usually wear 
no covering on the head whilst indoors, with the ex- 
ception, however, of matrons, who wear caps made of 
some elegant lace material, and widows who, according 
to custom, put on weeds for a certain period after the 
husband's decease. Weeds means a peculiar cap, com- 
posed of white muslin, in shape both ugly and unbe- 
coming. Notwithstanding this, my friend Mrs. D — , 
who is a widow, ever looks charming and beautiful. 
But to return to the dinner ; when it is finished the 
ladies, at a given sign from the mistress of the house, 
rise and leave the table. The gentlemen remain seated 
for about half-an-hour longer, during which interval 
they sip their wine, eat fruit and converse. In England 
they offer wine and meat in abundance, but water and 
bread is but scantily supplied. No smoking is allowed 
within doors, nor is it genteel to smoke in the streets — 
or even to smell of smoke when you enter the society 
of ladies. Gentlemen who are fond of tobacco, have 
regular smoking rooms, or go to their clubs to indulge 
in a cigar ; but the majority eschew smoking altogether. 
Our nation labour under a very false impression in 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



171 



supposing that the English are a people with very few 
ideas of religion ; and in imagining that because they 
do not observe fasts and festivals, and cross themselves, 
they are almost worse than infidels. In no country is 
the Sabbath more strictly or rigorously regarded than 
in England. Not only are the shops and places of 
public entertainment closed on that holy day, bat in 
some families in England even cooking is not allowed. 
The churches and chapels are literally crowded with 
well-dressed men and women twice a day. And there 
are many families that attend Divine service once or 
twice a week. Besides this, they support many splendid 
charitable institutions, hospitals for the sick and maimed, 
poor-houses for the paupers, foundlings for the unfor- 
tunate, and in fact, have institutions for the relief of 
every description of disease and infirmity to which 
human nature is subject. Nor must I omit to mention 
the public schools, and colleges for children of both 
sexes, where thousands are clothed, housed, fed and 
educated at the public expense, and where they will 
receive instruction that will fit them for any sphere ; 
besides these, there are also innumerable private 
charities, and her Majesty the Queen herself, takes the 
lead in distributing large bounties annually in the cold 
winter time — fuel, clothing, blankets, and many other 
requisites to the friendless and needy. Nor is it only 
for the temporal welfare of others that they exert 
themselves. Missionary establishments are supported 
by voluntary contributions, and the annual revenue or 
income of these institutions, consisting of millions of 
piastres, is expended in supporting missionaries and 
schools at home and abroad. Ladies and gentlemen 
who die worth immense fortunes, leaving no heirs to 
inherit, bequeath the bulk of their fortunes towards 
the furtherance of charitable objects. 



172 



THE THISTLE AND 



" There are merchants in London, and in some of the 
other principal towns in Great Britain, who are in 
possession of princely fortunes, and they always go on 
augmenting their wealth by any feasible scheme for the 
improvement of commerce — such as the laying on of a 
new line of steamers, or the construction of railroads. 
Schemes that require millions of money as a first out- 
lay, and before any profits can be hoped to be realised, 
are discussed with the utmost sang-froid by the mer- 
chants on Change, that is, at a large, elegant building, 
set aside and built expressly for merchants to congregate 
and transact business. If the scheme is approved of 
to-day by a number of leading merchants, and the sum 
requisite be five millions sterling, by this day fortnight, 
at latest, the money is contributed and safely lodged in 
the banker's hands. Such, Marshallah ! is the expeditious 
method adopted by English merchants, the richest com- 
moners of the richest kingdom in the world. 

"The fashionable world of London has fashionable 
hours for everything. Ladies sometimes do not get up 
before mid-day, and then usually breakfast in their pri- 
vate apartments, and not unfrequently in bed. The after- 
noon is the fashionable time for receiving visits ; they 
dine when, in our country, people are thinking of going 
to bed ; and this is not all, for, by the time that the so 
of Lebanon's first refreshing siesta may be said to be 
over, these people are thinking about amusing them- 
selves for the night. At about ten o'clock, fashionable 
evening parties commence. Some people are invited to 
four or five of these in the same evening, and they may 
perhaps go to all, remaining but a few minutes at each. 
Ladies and gentlemen dance till past midnight. Bands 
of delightful music are playing ; the rooms are arranged 
like fairy land ; the girls are so beautiful, and dressed 
so elegantly, that the whole scene is like a realisation 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



173 



of the fabulous tales of the Arabian Nights. Then 
there is also the opera, where professional singers and 
dancers are employed; and the magnificence with 
which the stage is decorated, the lights, the music, the 
dancing — so airy that the girls barely touch the ground 
with their toes. All is as a scene of magic enchant- 
ment, till the curtain drops amidst thunders of applause, 
and you are led out by your friends in a state of mental 
aberration. The next morning you awake, and look 
over your last night's expenditure, and you find a few 
such items as the following : — 

£ s. d. Piastres. 

Grapes (ten paras' worth in Syria) 10 = 55 

Opera-ticket 1 1 0=110 

Supper, Cab-hire, etc 1 11 6 = 165 

Total 330 

a Three hundred and thirty piastres for a few hours 5 
entertainment ! Such is but a trifling instance of the 
daily expenditure accruing in London, this great mart 
which offers such numberless enticements to spend 
money ; but, on the other hand, few, if any, places in 
the world present greater opportunities for amassing 
wealth. The very atmosphere of this great city seems 
to infect its inhabitants with an insatiable desire of be- 
coming rich ; such is, indeed, my own case, and it will be 
my constant endeavour to gain such a fortune as shall 
entitle me to be the enviable possessor of an English 
home, and become a domesticated man, and at the same 
time enable me to forward the interests of my own 
dear country, by contributing to the construction of 
hospitals, schools, etc., where my brethren and f the 
stranger that sojourneth in the land ' may receive 
relief." 



174 



THE THISTLE AND 



" Men in this country seldom think of marrying before 
they are thirty or forty years old ; girls never before 
they are sixteen ; bnt I must mention one thing which 1 
will rather surprise and amuse your excellency. Chil- 
dren, especially daughters, are excluded from society 
until they are thoroughly educated, and considered by 
their parents fit to make their debut. You may visit 
and dine continually at a house, without being aware 
that there are any children under the same roof. When 
young, they are kept almost exclusively in the nursery 
under charge of a governess and nursery-maids. When 
old enough to go to school, they are sent off to these 
establishments, rarely coming home, except in cases of 
sickness or for the holidays, and even then they are 
seldom permitted to dine at the same table, or keep the 
same hours as their parents when there is company. 
Fancy a Syrian mother being separated from her chil- 
dren for months, and not seeing them, though easily 
within reach ; knowing that her sons, if disobedient or 
naughty, have no mercy to expect from the school- 
master, no sparing of the rod, or of heavy tasks either ; 
and that her daughters may be going supperless to bed, 
for some trivial offence against the schoolmistress, 
whilst she, the mother, is supping sumptuously. If 
you tell them that this seems unnatural and cruel, their 
reply is, that they went through it themselves; but 
you will barely credit what I write, when I tell you, 
that there are many instances where mothers of young 
families, seldom see or enquire after their offspring 
more than once a day, sometimes not so often, and 
even sometimes they go out of town for a week or ten 
days, leaving these troublesome incumbrances to the 
tender mercies of a nursery-maid. What would our 
mothers have said, if any one had suggested to them, 



THE CEDAR OP LEBANON. 



175 



that it would be best to place ns under the care of 
servant-maids? Would they ever have tasted food 
before they knew that we were served, or rested till 
they had wrenched the cane from the hand of the 
schoolmaster, torn his beard, and carried us away 
home ? 

" However great the Western Europeans are, they can- 
not, in general, be said to possess that attachment and 
love which binds and links most oriental families toge- 
ther. I must here mention that beards are at a sad 
discount in England; moustaches hooted at, or only 
used by military men. Alas ! for the reverence paid to 
the long beards of Syria. The possessors of such in this 
country would be set down as Jews ; they are con- 
sidered inconvenient, unsightly, and not reckoned as 
contributing to cleanliness. I knew a Frank in Syria, 
a Hakim, whose flowing beard was the admiration of all 
beholders ; his patients used to seize it and make him 
swear by it, that he would do his best to cure them • 
and as for the damsels, happy was she that could make 
him vow fidelity to her, on the strength of his beard. 
Well, your excellency, I met this Hakim in the streets 
of London. I knew him not ; but he recognised me 
and spoke to me. The cruel razor had been at 
work, and his face was as smooth and beardless as the 
new-born babe. I asked him what had caused him to 
commit such an act of insanity, and he told me that, 
when he first landed, the children in the streets hooted, 
pelted him, and cried out " Halloo Moshes ! " and so, 
for quietness' sake, he was obliged to submit his beau- 
tiful beard to the hands of a ruthless barber. In 
England no one wears beards. Bishops are beardless ; 
Cadis are beardless ; lawyers, hakims, even the solicitors ; 
— wonderful indeed ! but what is still more wonderful 



176 



THE THISTLE AND 



and absurd is, that these great men wear long, curly 
wigs, which vastly resemble the sheepskins worn by 
our buffoons and tale-tellers. 

" Young ladies in this country are devotedly attached 
to handsome uniforms; and fine uniforms are devotedly 
attached to handsome fortunes as well as faces. Some- 
times young officers elope with heiresses worth millions 
of money, whereas the officer, perhaps, has nothing but 
a gay uniform and a good-looking face and figure to 
shew : but in all cases, young ladies are very fond of 
red and blue coats ; and an officer in the guards is irre- 
sistible. Even the beadle, that is, the Indilaft, is an 
object of admiration to the lower classes, as he struts 
about in his gold-laced cocked-hat and uniform. 

" It may of a truth be said of the English, that they 
strive with each other in their efforts to oblige a 
stranger, and heap civilities and attentions upon him. 
With them it is a matter of earnest regret that any 
foreign friend should find cause of complaint against 
any of their countrymen. One great advantage that 
we Syrians possess, is the very fact of coming from the 
Holy Land. Say to an Englishman, of whatever grade, 
' ( I am a Syrian," and he will immediately know how 
to appreciate your worth, and the excellence of your 
country ; he will talk to you of Hebron and many other 
towns with unabating pleasure; and the reason is, that, 
from his infancy upwards, with him Syria has been a 
familiar household word; as a lisping infant, he has 
read at his mother's knee of King Solomon and the 
cedars of Lebanon. At school, his prize-essays have 
been about Jerusalem; and if, mayhap, he is a poor 
man, unable to write or read, still, from the pulpit, he 
has long been accustomed to hear of the great patriarch, 
the prophets, and the kings, of Israel, the temple of 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



177 



Solomon, and other marvellous facts so intimately 
linked with his creed; the scene of all which was 
Syria and the Holy Land. Though most true that it- 
is not an easy matter to cultivate the acquaintance of 
an Englishman, still, when you do once become ac- 
quainted with him, and are well known to him, then 
you are his friend in the true acceptance of that term, 
and you continue his friend for life, whether you remain 
in England or go abroad (I have found this by ex- 
perience). Moreover he takes a pride in introducing 
you to his own circle of acquaintances, and endeavours, 
in concert with them, to promote your best interests 
and welfare ; he abides by you as your friend during 
your absence, and if anything should reach his ears 
derogatory to your character, his best energies are 
brought into play; he sifts the matter thoroughly, 
hushes the voice of calumny, or exposes the infamy of 
the calumniator ; and if perchance you are guilty in his 
opinion of any breach of etiquette or a misdemeanour, 
he weighs the matter maturely in his own mind, and is 
-as ready to correct and reprimand, as he is to overlook 
the offence, and set it down to the score of your being 
a stranger, and necessarily uninitiated in the strict 
etiquette of the land. 

The English do a good action solely from a wish to 
do good, and from no other earthly inducement. I am 
now speaking of Englishmen as individuals, for, when 
acting in numbers, I must confess I do not hold so 
high an opinion of them. This is proved by the many 
companies continually advertised and puffed up before 
the public, but which are nothing more or less than a 
hoax to catch the unwary, invented by unprincipled 
men, of which I myself have more than once been the 
dupe. 

i 5 



178 



THE THISTLE AND 



CHAPTER XI. 

STAY AT CONSTANTINOPLE. 

Even at this distance of time, my spirit is filled with 
melancholy, when I think of that kind friend with 
whom I passed the greater portion of my time whilst at 
Constantinople : perhaps a description of one evening 
spent in his society may be of interest. 

The Emir Sayed — a wreck of greatness, whose fond 
dream of life's realities can only find an echo in the 
past — the shattered fragment of one born to command 
— second only to a snpreme sovereign- — he is a helpless 
broken-hearted man, supported on the alms of those who 
could once barely claim the high honour of admission 
into his presence. So much does misfortune level the 
creatures of the Creator — so great the fall from a 
princely estate to a beggarly dependence ; thank Grod, 
however, even the gloomiest hours of existence, a light, 
however feeble, of the brighter hopes of life, breaks in 
upon the soul like an April sunbeam, and chases from 
its darkened caverns all the moist drops of a tearful 
heart. It was thus with the Emir Sayed. His favorite 
resort in Constantinople was a cafe, where of an even- 
ing, furnished with a chibuk and a cup of coffee, he 
would sit, surrounded by his most intimate Mends, and 
listen from hour to hour to the marvellous or amusing 
tales told there nightly by professional tale-tellers. 
On such occasions it was a privilege to me to accom- 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



179 



pany the fallen prince, for, besides the instruction I 
derived in learning aufond the technicalities of the 
Turkish language, I learnt a lesson in the experiences 
of life — how to bear up against misfortunes like a man 
— how to bow the head to the will of Providence, and 
submit to what might appear a calamity, and still 
doubtless might be intended as a safeguard or a blessing 
to him, whom the Great Benefactor has seen fit to 
surround with troubles, lest his soul should stray from 
the narrow path of righteousness. 

We will now, by the reader's permission, fancy our- 
selves threading the narrow streets of the Turkish 
capital, following a servant, who carries a fannar, or 
lantern. At length we reach the cafe. A thousand 
lights, strung upon every conceivable hook, lend their 
enlivening brilliancy to light up the salon ; the open 
space in front is filled with attentive auditors, all seated 
on diminutive stools or carpets, all silent, all sedate, 
mostly wearing beards, and every one smoking or 
sipping his coffee. We pass through a kind of human 
alley. We enter the coffee-shop : the seat at the 
furthermost end — the seat of honour— is always re- 
served for the Emir. " He is a Bey still, and also a 
stranger." 

At length we are all seated, all served, and the 
amusements of the evening commence ; the violin and 
the guitar, both have been tuned, and the first piece 
commences : a short symphony of lively music, and 
then the bard of the company sings a song, of which 
the following is a specimen : — 

Breeze of the West, I pray tliee roam 
Toward my moon-faced lady's home 
To her my flight forlorn declare, 
Tittle by tittle, hair by hair. 



180 



THE THISTLE AND 



Parted from thee, thou form of grace, 
My heart hath been griefs dwelling-place ; 
And love has drawn my wandering feet, 
From grove to grove, from street to street. 

My heart when bent on beauty's chase, 
Ne'er found so sweet a form and face ; 
Although with roving step it went, 
From house to house, from tent to tent. 

While others smile, and play, and flirt, 
This bleeding heart bemoans its hurt, 
Like a young rose, blood-stain'd with grief, 
Petal by petal, leaf by leaf. 

The garden where I loved to trace, 
Sweet blooming flowers in thy face, 
How lovj and dead all gardens seem, 
Alley by alley, stream by stream. 

Sweet jasmine-bosomed love, — I pray 
Fondly to heaven by night and day, 
Once more to see that form and face, 
Lip pressed to hp, and face to face. 

Of all the garden flowers that be, 
Why is the rose most dear to me 1 
'T is that it 's like thy heart so true, 
Odour to odour, hue to hue. 

Though far from Allah's loving sight, 
The Fates have borne my soul's delight ; 
Go, Western Breeze, this message bear, 
Where'er thou art, my heart is there ! 

The song is no sooner concluded, narghilies, pipes 
and coffee handed round, than the story-teller' s abilities 
are called into requisition, and he tells us the story of 

" The Tailor and the Sultan. 

,f Formerly when Baghdad was nourishing, when great 
men sometimes condescended to sink themselves to a 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



181 



level with the common herd of mankind, there lived 
and reigned the Snltan Honssein. He was a famous 
man and a just judge, but rather eccentric withal. As 
his Grand Vizier had, on more than one occasion, given 
him cause of dissatisfaction, he was determined at any 
cost to get the cleverest man in the kingdom to perform 
the duties of that office ; but he resorted to a curious 
trial of their talent. A proclamation was issued, that 
the sultan offered the highest dignity in the empire 
to him amongst his subjects, who should be able satis- 
factorily to perform what he should require ; on the 
other hand, the penalty in case of failure being, that 
the man so failing should forfeit his head. Under such 
circumstances, the aspirants were not over numerous, 
but still there were not wanting ambitious men, who 
were willing to place their heads in danger for the 
attainment of a position, which perhaps they least of any 
of the people of the country were fitted for. At last, a 
presumptuous tailor offered himself as a candidate, and 
was in due course ushered into the presence of royalty. 
The poor maker of garments found the sultan reclining 
on a carpet ; and, hanging on a nail in the wall of the 
room, was a solitary counterpane ; and in this counter- 
pane the solution of the whole of the difficulty lay — the 
task being to cover the sultan entirely over with it. 
When the tailor first tried, to his consternation he found 
it too short by two good spans. He then suggested 
that another should be introduced; but the sultan 
laughed and hooted at the idea. At last a bright 
notion flashed across the tailor. He had long been 
accustomed to the nefarious art of cabbaging, so he set 
his inventive faculties to work, to find out how he could 
best cabbage a piece from the length of the sultanas 



182 



THE THISTLE AND 



body, or, in other words, reduce it into as small a com- 
pass as could possibly be effected. Bethinking himself 
luckily of a little cane he usually carried in his girdle, 
he first covered the sultan's head, his feet remaining 
uncovered ; he removed the embroidered slippers, and 
stealthily bringing out his cane, caught the sultan a 
severe blow across the soles of his feet, that he involun- 
tarily tucked them up, thus drawing himself into a 
sufficiently small compass, and the tailor, availing him- 
self of this circumstance, instantly tucked the counter- 
pane round him, and thus effectually succeeded in entirely 
covering him, at the same time telling him he must 
always take care to stretch his legs according to his 
covering." 

With songs and stories, such as I have given above, 
the time passes until nine o'clock, at which hour most 
of those assembled take their departure ; and the unfor- 
tunate Emir, attended as when he arrived, returns to 
his disconsolate dwelling to talk over the misfortunes 
of other days. 

Perhaps here it would not be out of place, to show the 
fallacy of the opinions usually entertained in Western 
Europe as to the state of things in Turkey. People talk 
of the fanaticism of the Turks ; and in England more 
especially they seem to entertain an innate terror of the 
very name of Turk. Anything ferocious, anything ugly, 
and black, and dingy, is called " like a Turk/' Now 
what can undeceive this excessive ignorance better than 
the conduct of the present amiable and excellent Sultan, 
on the occasion of the marriage of the daughter of the 
Prince Etienne Vogiredis. (Prince Etienne was a native 
of Walachia, but of later years residing at Constanti- 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



183 



nople, and in high favour with the Sultan, who for a 
long time had been accessible to the prince at any hour; 
he had been ambassador at Athens, and a faithful servant 
of the sultan for the whole of his life. One of his daughters 
is married to our present respected ambassador in 
London, and it is not necessary for me to inform the 
reader of the manifold virtues and amiable qualities of 
this lady; but her father's excellence was such as has 
obtained for him a notoriety and honour unrivalled in 
the annals of Mahomedan history. When I was last 
at Constantinople, a daughter of the prince, a younger 
sister of our ambassadress, was married to a wealthy 
gentleman.) To the astonishment and intense gratifica- 
tion of every one present, His Majesty the Sultan at- 
tended with his mother at the ceremonial, a most 
unprecedented act of courtesy, and one least of all to 
be expected in Turkey, where the extreme fanaticism 
supposed to exist between the two creeds would, we 
might have imagined, have raised an insurmountable 
barrier. By departing on occasions such as these from 
the strict rules and regulations of the Mahomedan code, 
and by disregarding the reproachful remonstrances of 
the Ulemas, who are the most determined advocates of 
perfect uniformity to their doctrines, Sultan Abdul 
Medjid has evinced a strong desire to introduce a 
thorough social reform into his kingdom, and he has 
hereby conciliated the good will and gained the affec- 
tion of many of his non-Mahomedan subjects. 

Owing to the ignorance which prevails in Europe on 
the subject of Turkey, a great outcry is frequently made 
by many persons about events which occur in that 
country, without for one moment taking into consider- 
ation the difference in the temperament of the people, 



184 



THE THISTLE AND 



arising from their Asiatic origin. One great cause of 
surprise, is the sudden rise of individuals in compara- 
tively indigent circumstances to places of great power. 
When, however, it is considered that the Orientals view 
the various grades of society in another light to the 
Western Europeans, the sudden aggrandisement of in- 
dividuals from the lower classes will cease to be a matter 
of surprise. In Turkey, men of the noblest birth mix 
indiscriminately with all ranks, and he who is possessed 
of wealth, talent, or interest, may rise to offices of the 
greatest trust; and, as "knowledge is power," I can 
see no reason why talent should not be brought into 
the notice which it merits. As a proof of the justice 
and benefit accruing from this system, I may adduce 
the case of a Capitan Pasha, whose station in life was 
very humble, but, being gifted with more than ordinary 
abilities, he was promoted to the chief command of the 
Turkish fleet, which was never better managed than 
whilst under his control. Other instances of a similar 
character are of frequent occurrence, more particularly 
in the subordinate departments of the home service. 
A favorite eunuch, or the brother of a Georgian or 
Circassian concubine or wife, has had honours sud- 
denly and most unexpectedly showered upon him in 
the civil and military service ; and there are at 
this date many pashas of both services, who owe their 
rise to similar unforeseen but fortuitous circumstances. 
It is true, many of these can neither read nor write, but 
they are possessed of great power of discernment, and 
are accompanied by two or three individuals who pos- 
sess sufficient education, to carry out the views of their 
leader in a becoming manner. A good secretary, 
generally an Armenian, is an indispensable requisite. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



185 



The evil arises here in the choice of the subordinates ; 
who if he be of a bigotted and selfish turn of mind, the 
benevolent intentions of the government are but im- 
perfectly carried out, or frustrated in spite of the most 
strenuous efforts. 

Sultan Abdul Medjid, and his ministers, deserve the 
highest credit for the various attempts which have at 
different times been made, to introduce a thorough 
reform into the financial system of the Porte. It is 
undoubtedly a herculean task, for I do not believe that 
there has ever existed in any country in the world, so per- 
fect and general a system of corruption, extortion, and ra- 
pacity on the part of the inferior officials. Though not 
oppressive in themselves, the taxes levied upon the people 
have, in consequence, become an intolerable yoke. 
Every village and individual taxed generally pays much 
more than the legitimate amount ordered to be levied 
by the government. The emirs and district governors, 
the sheikhs, kekhiahs, and heads of the tribes, live upon 
the villagers, and oblige the poor tenant-farmers to 
furnish their establishments with horses, servants, and 
practice fifty other extortions. To meet these urgent 
exactions, the poor villagers are obliged annually to 
raise loans guaranteed on the ensuing season's crops at 
a most usurious rate of interest, as high as from twenty- 
five to thirty-five and forty per cent, per annum, either 
from wealthy Jews, Armenians, or Greeks, and formerly 
even many of the dragomans of the different European 
consulates took advantage of this state of things, and 
fattened upon the misfortunes and miseries of the poor 
peasants, over whom they rode roughshod. The exis- 
tence of so terrible an evil could not long remain un- 
known to the inquiring mind of the Sultan, and though 



186 



THE THISTLE AND 



his sources of correct information have necessarily been 
meagre, he acquired an insight into it, sufficient to 
convince him of the necessity for a change. Accord- 
ingly, he ordered certain taxes to be abolished, others 
to be reduced ; and he, above all, is endeavouring to 
organise an honest and simple system of collection. 
He has been foiled to a great extent in his attempts to 
effect the latter ; and hence may be derived the clearest 
and simplest explanation of the financial embarassments 
of his government. Apropos of this, I may quote from 
the letter of a friend, which has just come to hand. 

" Everybody seems to imagine that the speedy downfall 
of Turkey is inevitable, that its doom is all but sealed, 
and that she is passing as rapidly as she can into the 
hands of Russia. But it ought to be well known in 
western Europe, that the so-much-talked-of balance of 
power in the East, cannot be thus so easily or so reck- 
lessly sacrificed by the two great powers, England and 
France. The jealousy of these powers is a sufficient 
safeguard for Turkey ; and they will protect her from 
any aggression on the part of Russia or Austria on her 
rights and territory; and it is to me evident that 
Russia's long course of policy with regard to the Otto- 
man empire in Turkey, will be frustrated from a quarter 
whence she may least expect it. 

" That which, in my opinion, establishes the re- 
sources and vitality of the Turkish empire is, that if 
one of the serious struggles to which it has been ex- 
posed for the last forty years, were to have happened to 
any other power, it would either have crippled it or 
caused its entire destruction. Turkey, on the contrary, 
has, during this space of time, experienced the severest 
trials, as, for instance, the Greek revolution, the de- 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



187 



struction of the janissaries (who at the time constituted 
her army), the annihilation of her fleet at Navarino, 
the protracted war with Russia, the civil war with 
Egypt, and the many partial outbreaks caused by the 
machinations of European powers ; in spite of all these, 
far from sinking, Turkey at this time possesses, besides 
irregular troops and auxiliaries, a regular and well- 
disciplined army and a splendid fleet, and is endeavour- 
ing still further to increase, and re-establish peace, and 
internal security; and also to find the best means of 
enriching her treasury without burdening her subjects ; 
and I trust, that under the government of the present 
benign Sultan, and his enlightened ministers (in spite 
of the fanatical party), Turkey will, I am convinced, 
yet make great progress in civilisation and all its 
concomitant blessings. At least, if she does not, it 
will not be for want of exertion on the part of Abdul 
Medjid to introduce into his empire a thorough reform, 
himself setting an example to his subjects of forbear- 
ance and goodly feeling towards the many sects dwelling 
within the boundaries of his empire. 

Just before leaving Constantinople, a circumstance 
occurred which created quite a sensation amongst all 
classes and creeds. An Armenian girl, the daughter of 
very respectable parents, formed a secret attachment to 
a young Moslem, in the service of the Sultan. The 
lovers managed to contrive interviews without exciting 
the suspicions of the girl's friends ; and eventually the girl 
fled to her lover, embraced the Mahommedan faith, and 
was regularly married to him. Sometime after they had 
been married, the young girl went to call upon her 
mother, most probably without her husband's consent. 
The mother and all her relations bemoaning with many 



188 



THE THISTLE AND 



tears her apostasy, implored of the girl not to return 
to her husband, but to be received once again into her 
mother church. The girl, overcome by emotion for the 
moment, yielded a ready consent; and for her better 
security, it was agreed that she should be placed within 
the Armenian asylum. This was accordingly done, and 
the husband made vain search for his missing bride. 
Meanwhile the young lady got tired of her confinement, 
and very possibly of the treatment she received from 
the over-zealous attendants at the asylum, and accord- 
ingly contrived, through the window of the room where 
she was confined, to convey a message to her husband. 
The husband immediately complained to the authorities ; 
who without delay demanded the girl of the bishop. 
The prelate at first denied any knowledge of the person 
in question. A military force was then sent to bring 
her away at any cost ; and a parley commenced between 
the commandant and the bishop, in which the latter 
gave his parole d'honneur, that if the troops were with- 
drawn he would conduct the girl himself next day 
before the divan, and she should there declare publicly, 
which of the two faiths she of her own free will would 
wish to embrace. Meanwhile the ambassadors of all 
European powers had exerted themselves on the girl's 
behalf, but all to no purpose. Next day the girl was 
brought up trembling before the divan, to answer the 
important question about to be put her. Most of the 
European authorities were present, and so was the girPs 
husband; and no sooner did her eye meet his again, 
than all her resolution failed her ; and so powerful was 
the effect of her love, that she relinquished parents, 
family, friends, creed, and nation, all for his sake ; and 
when asked the question, to which creed she gave the 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



189 



preference, her reply was — " I am a Moslem, the wife of 
a Moslem, and I will live and die as such." This settled 
the affair at once. The Turk took the girl back to his 
house again, and the poor bishop sorrowfully withdrew, 
lamenting as he went along the unfavourable result of 
the affair. 



190 



THE THISTLE AND 



CHAPTER XII. 

EGYPT. 

Resuming my narrative, my readers will be interested 
by a slight sketch of Egypt under Abbas Pacta. 
There is little doubt but that Egypt has made great 
strides in civilisation under the sway of the present 
enlightened viceroy ; for we have daily evidence of her 
still improving. Abbas Pacha is only now about forty- 
five years of age ; he is the son of the eldest son of 
Mahomet Ali Pacha/ and, therefore, according to the 
Egyptian rule, which gives precedence to the eldest 
male heir, entitled to the throne after the decease of 
Ibrahim Pacha; but whose children, in some countries, 
would have been considered as lawful successors. Abbas 
Pacha, unlike his predecessor, whose habits greatly 
contributed to curtail his life, is a man of very moderate 
and temperate mode of life ; he has only one wife, and 
by this lady has an only son, now about twelve years 
of age. At the recommendation of the honorable Mr. 
Murray, the British consul-general in Egypt, the vice- 
roy sent to England to engage a tutor for the education 
of this son in English, and Mr. Artin, an English 
lawyer, was the lucky individual fixed upon. 

No sooner had Mr. Artin arrived in Egypt, than 
Abbas Pacha promoted him to the dignity of Bey, and 
he now ranks amongst the nobles of the land. The 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



191 



Pacha having first set the example himself, strongly 
recommended all his ministers to have their children 
educated in like manner ; and I have little doubt but 
that this sage advice will, in the course of time, be 
adopted. He also sends annually a number of young 
men to England to be educated, who naturally take 
back with them a strong predilection for the people 
with whom they have for some time resided. This will 
tend greatly to introduce a love of English civilisation 
and improvements in the country. 

Amongst other improvements, Abbas Pacha has 
built himself a magnificent palace, Darr il Bedah, mid- 
way between Cairo and Suez. This good work excited 
the satire and spleen of the French people, who insisted 
that it was an act of insanity, throwing away money 
upon such a palace, situated in the desert ; but, apart 
from its having given occupation and bread to thou- 
sands of starving inhabitants, the very fact of the 
Pacha making this place his favourite summer resort, 
has drawn the attention of the natives to the capa- 
bilities of the soil in the neighbourhood, and the place, 
from being a barren wilderness, is being rapidly brought 
into cultivation; villages are springing up, and, in 
addition to all this, the roads have been put into ex- 
cellent order — not a trifling boon conferred upon the 
vast number of English travellers that are continually 
crossing this desert. 

The steamers on the Nile, and the railway now in 
course of construction, are still greater proofs of the 
Pacha's enlightened and civilised mind. Abdallah Bey, 
an Englishman who some time since embraced Maho- 
medanism, was appointed director of the transit, and 
the Pacha promoted him to that grade because he 
thought no one else competent to discharge the duties 



192 



THE THISTLE AND 



of the post. The truth of the matter is, that the 
English never commanded greater influence than they 
do at this present day in Egypt ; they are looked up to 
and considered as everybody and everything, and for 
this they have much to thank their able consul-general, 
the honourable Mr. Murray. To give an example of how 
far his influence with the Pacha may extend, I may 
mention that, some short time since, two hundred Copts 
were compelled to enlist as soldiers. Now these Copts 
are Christians, and their sufferings amongst the Moslem 
Fellahs can be more readily conceived than described ; 
their friends and families succeeded in interesting 
Mr. Murray on their behalf, who interceded with the 
Pacha; and the result was, that they were immediately 
discharged from the army. But to shew how much and 
how sincerely Abbas Pacha appreciates the worth of 
such a man as the British consul-general, the best 
proof I can give is, that when a sad calamity befell Mr. 
Murray, and his amiable lady died, the viceroy ordered 
all his ministers and head officials to go into mourning 
for her, and to follow her remains to the grave. Such 
a funeral was never witnessed in modern Egypt. All 
the nobles of the land, and the first gentry, without the 
distinction of creed, with black crape round their left- 
arms and round their red caps, following in mournful 
procession this highly -respected English lady to her 
grave. If a potentate had died, greater honours could 
not have been rendered ; and this act is without pre- 
cedent in the East. 

During my stay in Egypt I resided with my kind 
friend Mr. Baphael Abet. Mr. Abet is one of three 
brothers ; they were from Syria, and eventually settled 
in Egypt. These three brothers were all eminent for 
their piety and their charity. One unfortunately died 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



193 



prematurely ; but he has left behind him an undying 
name, having bequeathed an immense fortune for the 
support of charity schools and other similar philan- 
thropic institutions. The brother, of whose kind 
hospitalities I so abundantly partook during my sojourn 
in Egypt (and whom I cannot refrain from thanking 
through the medium of these pages), is equally well- 
known for his benevolence and good deeds. On the 
occasion of the revolution in Greece in 1823, when the 
Turks took several females and children prisoners, and 
carried them away to be sold as captives in other coun- 
tries, several of these unfortunates found a friend and 
deliverer in Mr. Abet. Not a few of the captives were 
carried into Egypt, and there sold. Many of these 
were, at a great outlay, purchased by him, who treated 
them in every respect as though they had been his own 
children; he fed, clothed, and educated them, and 
eventually they married and settled comfortably in 
life. One of the Messrs. Abet is now established in 
London as a mercantile man, and I am sure all who 
know him will bear me out in pronouncing him to be a 
good man and a devout Christian. 

Whilst on the subject of Egyptian friends and ac- 
quaintances, I must not neglect to mention the name 
of that good man Mr. Larking, who has left behind 
him in Egypt many a souvenir of which any English- 
man might well be proud; his name is gratefully 
remembered by all classes in Egypt, from the viceroy 
himself down to the meanest peasant. Mr. Larking, 
on first establishing himself in Egypt, so ingratiated 
himself with the Pacha, that in a very short time he 
was permitted to purchase whole villages, over which 
he ruled with as absolute sway as any Egyptian land- 
owner. The country round these villages he soon 

K 



194 



THE THISTLE AND 



brought into the richest state of cultivation, and so 
lenient a master, one under whom they reaped so many 
hitherto unheard-of benefits, made the peasants almost 
adore the name of Mr. Larking. Not only did he 
ameliorate the condition of his own land by the in- 
troduction of a superior method of cultivation, but he 
conferred a boon upon the whole of Egypt by procuring, 
at some expense and trouble, the Sea-Island cotton 
seed, which has succeeded beyond the most sanguine 
expectations, and for the sample of it which was 
shewn at the Great Exhibition, Mr. Larking obtained 
the prize. The viceroy was, of course, much gratified 
and pleased at this, and he has bestowed many costly 
gifts on Mr. Larking as expressive of his approbation, 
besides which, that gentleman has been appointed to 
act as the viceroy's confidential agent in England. 
This is only one of the many instances in which com- 
moners have been raised to a high rank by Mehemet 
Ali Pacha, who being of obscure origin, took delight 
in raising to power those whose personal merits and 
talents brought them before his notice. Amongst 
the Viceroy's favourites was one who particularly 
deserves our notice, viz., the late Boghas Bey. An 
Armenian by birth, and of no great opulence or 
particular parentage, Boghas Bey was possessed of all 
those good qualities which cannot fail to endear one 
even to the most savage breast : his charities were 
proverbial even to the detriment of his own personal 
interest. Step by step he rose in the viceroy's favour, 
till he had so far ingratiated himself with the Pacha, 
that Boghas was created a bey, and had other high dis- 
tinctions conferred upon him. He might have accu- 
mulated immense wealth, for the viceroy's heart and 
hand were ever open to confer great benefits upon him, 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 195 

but Boghas Bey preferred to serve his master gratui- 
tously; and even the produce of the gifts of land 
forced upon his acceptance, went towards the main- 
tenance of the poor, and many widows and orphans bless 
his name even to this day. But to show how dangerous 
it is to be a favourite at Oriental courts, and how it 
subjects one to the vile jealousies of courtiers, even 
Boghas, favourite as he was, was well nigh falling a victim 
to the viceroy's susceptibility and the villany of others. 
Some miscreants had misrepresented his character and 
actions to the Pacha, who, in a paroxysm of rage, 
ordered an officer in attendance to go instantly to the 
supposed delinquent's house, and have him drowned in 
the Nile. As good fortune would have it, Boghas had 
on some previous occasion saved this very officer's head, 
and the man gratefully remembering this, hid Boghas 
in his own house, intending to facilitate his escape to 
some other country. This was a bold stroke, and one 
worthy of great praise. Next morning the viceroy was 
sadly out of spirits; his wrath had not only calmed 
down, but circumstances had actually transpired which 
cleared his favourite of all suspicion. Great then was 
the viceroy's consternation and grief on being informed 
that his orders had been executed to the letter : he tore 
his beard and gave way to exclamations of such sincere 
sorrow, that the officer took courage to prostrate him- 
self at the viceroy's feet, and explain how matters really 
stood. It is needless to say that he was readily par- 
doned, and Boghas received into higher favour than 
ever. At last, however, a sterner executioner than the 
one sent by the Pacha knocked at Boghas Bey's door. 
Death came armed, and the good man died* to the 
universal sorrow of the Pacha and all Cairo. Such 
had been his munificence during his lifetime, that at 



196 



THE THISTLE AtfB 



his deatli he was almost a bankrupt. The viceroy, 
determined to carry his esteem to the last, ordered him 
a public funeral, at which all the Egyptian officials 
and European consuls and merchants were invited to 
attend. So that Boghas was buried with honours such 
as are rarely paid to a prince in that country. 

Of course during my stay in Egypt, I had often 
opportunities of visiting all the known antiquities, and 
amongst others the celebrated Pyramids, those noble 
testimonies of the bygone splendour of the land, and 
whose age and founders seem destined ever to remain a 
mystery. A friend of mine, a great antiquarian, and 
one deeply read in profane and sacred history, used to 
delight in holding forth to me his speculations as to 
their origin. His opinion was, that it must be erro- 
neous to imagine that these pyramids were the handi- 
work of the Israelites. In support of this argument he 
quoted from many authorities, and amongst others from 
a well-known traveller who saw at one place the people 
making bricks with straw cut into small pieces, mingled 
with the clay to bind it. Hence it is, that when 
villages built of this brick fall into decay, the roads 
are full of small particles of straws, extremely offensive 
to the eyes in a high wind. These persons were engaged, 
exactly as the Israelites used to be, making bricks with 
straw, and for a similar purpose, viz., to build extensive 
granaries for the Pacha — " treasure cities for Pharaoh." 
Hence my friend argued, that the Israelites laboured in 
making bricks, not in hewing stones such as the 
Pyramids are constructed with ; but I do not pretend 
to enter into any argument upon so learned and obscure 
a subject: I certainly was surprised at the magnificence 
of their structure, and often wondered within myself 
where the stones came from, by what means they were 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



197 



transported, and by what now unknown force or lever 
such huge blocks were raised up one above another, and 
so left a firm memento through centuries, despite 
convulsions of the earth, to stand forth as objects of 
surprise and admiration to the visitors of the present 
generation. 

With regard to the climate of Egypt, I believe it to 
be as good as many parts of Syria, though the heat is 
certainly more intense, and even I myself suffered from 
languor and oppression; but then the mornings and 
evenings fully recompense you for the sultrier heat of the 
day, and I never recollect to have enjoyed a summer's 
moonlight night more than I did upon the Nile. The 
European residents in general enjoy excellent health; 
and few that have resided there long would wish to 
change their method of living, or the country they 
live in. 

In Cairo, the Consular Square contains many very 
handsome buildings, inhabited principally by the consuls 
of various nations, and some of the more wealthy 
European merchants. With my friend Mr. Walne, 
the British Consul at Cairo, I have spent many a 
pleasant hour, and for his great kindness and hospi- 
tality, T am glad to have an opportunity of thus publicly 
thanking him. Mr. W. is the head of the Egyptian 
Society, who have a very fine library, consisting chiefly 
of works relating to the antiquities and country of Egypt. 
The valuable books contained in this library are at all 
times, with perfect goodwill, placed at the disposal of 
strangers; and I gratefully acknowledge to have derived 
useful information and amusement from the well- stocked 
shelves of this institution. 

A great source of comfort to English families residing 
in Egypt, is the punctual regularity with which the 



198 



THE THISTLE .AND 



European mails arrive and depart ; for, besides meeting 
almost weekly with swarms of their countrymen and 
fair countrywomen nocking to and from India, they 
have constantly fresh news from home, and can, upon 
any great emergency, transport themselves from the 
warm clime of Egypt to the their own much-loved 
foggy island within the fortnight. Besides this, they 
are continually receiving newspapers from all parts 
of the world, possessing the advantage over England of 
being cognisant of Indian and Australian news a fort- 
night before such intelligence could reach London; and 
this for merchants connected by trade with both places, 
must naturally be of paramount importance. 

During winter, the Europeans at Cairo are much 
given to festivities ; dinner-parties and balls and soirees 
are then the order of the day, and great good feeling 
exists amongst the residents. Even private theatricals 
have been attempted ; but it is during the Carnival that 
Cairo resounds with merriment, and masques and 
grotesque-looking figures, with torches and music, 
parade the streets from house to house till long after 
midnight, few enjoying the fun better than the native 
Cairines themselves. The gentlemen have shooting 
parties and coursing matches; the ladies ride out in 
the environs; they have healthy exercise, good houses, 
and the best of fare — all the productions of the East 
blended with the luxuries imported from European 
markets ; and in this respect, as well as in conversing 
with and meeting more frequently ladies and gentlemen 
of their own nation, the English at Cairo possess ad- 
vantages over the English in Syria. All the former 
have to complain of is the sultry heat of the weather, 
whilst the latter are isolated, and bemoan their solitude 
and the great lack of intelligent society. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



199 



Egypt, now called by the natives "Messir," was called 
in the Hebrew Scriptures, (i The land of Mizraim' ; — 
a strange similarity in the two names, which places it 
beyond a doubt that, however much the face of the 
country may have been changed since the days of Moses 
and the children of Israel, and though consecutively 
under the sway of governments and people whose 
languages and dialects varied in the extreme, the same 
original name has been faithfully preserved, though 
corrupted and abbreviated by the various pronunciations 
given to it by various people. A land of troubles and 
misery it has been through many long centuries, from 
the fearful days when Aaron's rod manifested the 
supreme power of the God of Abraham before the eyes 
of an unbelieving and stiffnecked people, down to 
within the last few years. The frightful devastations 
committed by the plague, and the extermination of the 
Mameluke power ; these have been the last manifest 
outpoiuings of the wrath, of God. Let us hope that the 
full cup of indignation has been poured out and emptied 
to the dregs : and that the prophetic words of Isaiah 
have been fulfilled as far as regards the curse, and that 
the predicted blessing is about to fall upon the land. 
ts The Lord shall smite Egypt : he shall smite and heal 
it j and they shall return to the Lord, and he shall heal 
them.' ; etc. (Isaiah xix. 22 — 25). 

The striking allusion made to the fertility of the soil 
of Egypt in Gen. xli. 47 — " The earth brought forth by 
handfuls M — is still exemplified by the produce. Corn 
is so plentiful, that cargoes are annually shipped for the 
maintenance of other lands, and when the faniine was 
sorely felt in the neighbouring countries, whole fleets of 
vessels, laden with corn from Alexandria, brought to 
England timely succour to starving multitudes, and 



200 



THE THISTLE AND 



enriched the coffers of not a few speculative merchants, 
who made the miseries of their fellow-beings a means of 
advancing their own welfare in the world. 

On leaving Egypt, I came back to England via Mar- 
seilles. I had barely arrived at this latter port before 
I again had the misfortune of coming into contact with 
the gendarmes. On a former occasion, as the reader 
may recollect, I got into a scrape by inadvertently 
emptying a basin of water out of the hotel window over 
the head and shoulders of a fiery French officer. This 
time I had brought with me a little parcel of tobacco 
to distribute amongst a few of my friends. They 
wanted to make out a case of smuggling against me, 
but no sooner did I produce my passport to shew that I 
was attached to the Turkish embassy, than these offi- 
cious officials changed their conduct, and quite over- 
powered me with their civilities. Truly Marseilles is 
an unlucky place for me. I here also had a sample of 
the bad management of travelling in France. I took a 
first-class ticket direct from Marseilles to Paris by 
diligence. On my arrival at Lyons, I was told that I 
must remain until next morning, unless I consented to 
travel in an inferior part of the carriage. This, not- 
withstanding my urgent remonstrances, I was compelled 
to do, owing to the necessity of my being in Paris by 
a certain date, and, though exposed to many incon- 
veniences, I was so fortunate as to arrive there in time. 
My stay at Paris was limited to a few days, and I then 
came on to London and delivered my despatches to his 
excellency our respected ambassador, who immediately 
recognised me as one of his suite, and who has ever 
since continued to treat me with the greatest urbanity. 
So soon as my official duties permitted, I went the 
round of my kind friends in London, and amongst 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



201 



others, was delighted to see the Honourable George 
Massey, my old and well-tried friend, who insisted npon 
my taking up my abode at his house, where I remain 
surrounded by every comfort and luxury that kindness 
and forethought can provide, and happy in the en- 
joyment of the society of a genuine English family. 

The handsome present of horses lately sent by Abbas 
Pacha of Egypt to the Queen of England, clearly tes- 
tifies the good feeling existing between the two govern- 
ments, and how much the viceroy wishes to keep up 
those friendly feelings so successfully cultivated and 
maintained. One of the horses above alluded to is of 
the largest and most valuable and rare breed, and there 
is little doubt but that the English nation will here- 
after be indebted to Abbas Pacha for the possession of 
a breed of horses now unknown in England. The 
horses were sent to this country under the charge of 
Nubar Bey, an Armenian gentleman, a native of 
Smyrna, a relative of Boghas Bey, and is much 
esteemed by the Pacha and the Egyptians ; he received 
a first-rate education in Europe, and speaks several of 
its languages with fluency ; he accompanied Ibrahim 
Pacha on his visit to this country a few years back as 
interpreter-secretary, and since that time has visited 
several European courts on various diplomatic missions, 
and now holds a high appointment under the Egyptian 
government. 

The grooms who accompanied these horses were 
much astonished on seeing the queen ; they could not 
believe that so mild and gentle a lady could be pos- 
sessed of such power and influence over the whole 
world ; they were confident she must have a most clever 
magician in her employ, through whose arts she had 
attained so elevated a rank, and won such a share of 

k 5 



202 



THE THISTLE AND 



their viceroy's admiration. When they called to see me 
at Cambridge-square, amongst other articles of furni- 
ture, etc., which attracted their attention and admiration, 
was a little mantle-piece ornament, representing the 
three graces, of exquisite workmanship; they imme- 
diately set these down as household gods of the English, 
and it was with difficulty I could convince them to the 
contrary, and assure them that these, in common with 
many other nicnacs, were simply used as ornaments to 
the room. These poor fellows were very grateful for 
the kindness shewn them by Mr. Massey and his 
family, who procured for them tickets of admission to 
many of the most interesting sights in London; and 
after partaking of his hospitality, they returned in a 
few days to Egypt, begging me to assure my friend 
and his family that, if ever he chanced to travel in 
Egypt, they hoped to have it in their power to shew 
him the antiquities of that country ; and, though they 
could not boast of so magnificent a seraijah, or such 
furniture, or such sumptuous fare, still a good pillaf, 
a chibuk of tobacco, and a finjan of coffee, should be 
always at his disposal. Mr. Massey was much pleased 
at the simple good nature of these people. Before 
taking leave, I asked them their opinion of England 
and its people. They replied, both were wonderful ; 
but they still preferred their own native country. That 
the English thought but of the present, and lived for 
this world alone ; but that they looked forward to a 
hereafter, in which they hoped to be amply recompensed 
by all the sensual enjoyments a Mahomedan paradise 
promises for the numerous mortifications now endured 
in the flesh. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



203 



CHAPTER XIII. 

LIFE, MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS OF SYRIA. 

{From the Cradle to the Tomb) . 

An addition to the family of a Syrian man is always 
an event looked forward to with the greatest anxiety, 
more especially in cases of a first child. The mother 
secretly prays and hopes that it may be a son; so 
does the father, but he seldom alludes to the subject. 
When the propitious event takes place, no hakim, 
except of late in extreme cases, since the introduction 
of European medical men, is ever called in. Such a 
thing would be considered highly indecorous and 
improper. Dyahs (midwives) are plentiful in Syria, 
and these females are ready at a moment's notice. If 
the result be a son, then the whole household is over- 
joyed, and the husband is besieged by friends and 
acquaintances, all anxious to outvie with each other in 
wishing him joy, and in hoping that the newly -born son 
may live to prove his comfort and support in old age. 
If, however, a daughter be born to the family, it is 
looked upon rather in the light of a misfortune than 
otherwise. The husband looks as if he were quite 
ashamed of himself, the subject is seldom or ever 
broached, and if any of his intimate friends allude to 
the matter, they do it with the view of consoling the 
father. The usual form of expression in such cases is, 
" She that has brought a daughter will bear a son," 
" Inshallah ! if it be the will of God." Soon after birth 



204 



THE THISTLE AND 



the child is capped in swaddling clothes, and is at once 
nourished by its own mother. Wet nurses are almost un- 
known, and are only employed in cases of death or great 
debility. The care of attending upon the mother devolves 
upon the female relatives ; but the women in my country 
are usually so strong and robust that little attention is 
required. No muffling of knockers — no strewing of 
straw in the streets — no doctor anxiously expected — no 
closing of both parent and child. Amongst the peasants 
and lower classes in particular, the women are so hardy 
that it is by no means an uncommon event for a mother, 
four or five hours after her accouchnient, to be seen 
propped up with cushions, busily engaged in mending 
or making baby-linen. On the fourth day after her 
confinement, the Kanum or lady is expected to receive 
the visits of her acquaintances and friends, both male 
and female ; and for this occasion a bran new coverlet 
usually handsomely worked in silk, has been prepared. 
Propped up by pillows and covered with farooa, she 
receives lying-in state visits. Her visitors do not remain 
long, but during the whole of the time they are com- 
plimenting her on the fortunate event; and the new-born 
is paraded round, and gazed at, and admired ; but no 
one dares to praise him without commencing with "Mas- 
halla [" "God be praised for it!" This custom of 
visiting the mother proves clearly that the usages which 
existed in the time of our blessed Saviour, when the 
wise men from the East came to look upon the new- 
born babe, and brought with them offerings, continues 
up to the present day, each friend or acquaintance 
bringing or sending his or her offerings. 

The first thing to be done after the birth of the child 
is to fix upon a name. This name, if it be the first- 
born son, is usually the name of the child's paternal 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



205 



grandfather, or else, if the birth takes place on the 
anniversary of any great Saint's day, it is called after 
him ; as for instance, Panl, or John, or Peter, and that 
saint becomes his patron through life ; this necessary 
preliminary being arranged, the child is baptised 
within a week of its birth for fear it should sicken or 
die. The priests usually come to the house, sometimes 
the child is taken to the church. The godfathers and 
godmothers, two of each, and all the relatives assemble, 
a large basin of water (made tepid in cold weather), is 
placed upon a table and duly consecrated by the priests ; 
the mother undresses the infant, and hands it naked 
as it was born to the hands of the officiating priest, and 
this minister, repeating prayers over it, in which he is 
assisted by others, immerses the whole body of the 
infant into the water three successive times in the name 
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 
Consecrated oil is then used, and the mark of the cross 
made with it on the forehead and chest of the infant. 
This also is done three times, the sponsors standing by 
and answering for the child. It is then wiped dry and 
carefully swaddled up again, and in a few minutes the 
ceremony terminates with the priest's blessing. 

The rest of the day is usually devoted to pleasure, 
and the parents now feel more at their ease, as the 
child has been admitted within the pale of the Church, 
and in case of any untoward event, would be entitled 
to Christian burial. The father, if this be a first son, 
drops the name by which he was formerly known ; 
thus, supposing the name to have been Yusuf or 
Michali, and his friends used to call him the Kowajar 
Michali (the father of Joseph), now that his son has 
been christened by the name of Yacob, for instance, 
they call him Aboo Yacob, or the father of Yacob — a 
proud title for a Syrian ; for not to have children is 



206 



THE THISTLE AND 



looked upon as the greatest misfortune and disgrace 
that can happen to a married couple ; whereas, however 
poor the family, a multitude of children (especially if 
they be males) is considered a blessing. From the day 
of the Psalmist David down to the present day, it may 
truly be said in Syria, Blessed are they that have their 
quiver full of them. " Lo children and the fruit of 
the womb are an heritage and gift that cometh of the 
Lord. Like as the arrows in the hand of the giant : 
even so are the young children. Happy is the man 
that hath his quiver full of them ; they shall not be 
ashamed when tbey speak with their enemies in the 
gate " (Psalm cxxvii. 4, 5, 6) . 

The greatest pride of an old man in Syria is to sit 
at the doorway of his house, or at the city gate, of an 
evening, pipe in hand, surrounded by his sons and 
grandsons. Although the infant is tenderly cared for, 
still, it must, however healthy, have occasionally some 
slight ailment, and then great consternation prevails 
in the household. The devices to heal it are curious. 
In every family a remnant of the holy palm -leaves, dis- 
tributed on Palm Sunday, are very carefully preserved 
to serve on like occasions; these are now mixed with 
olive-leaves and aloes, and the whole is then thrown 
into a small brazier of charcoal, and the smoke thereof 
constitutes an incense supposed to expel the evil eye."* 
Sometimes, strange to say, the ashes of this composi- 
tion bear strict resemblance to a human eye. After 
this, if the child is not better, the family priest is in 
this interval sent to, and offers up prayers for its wel- 
fare. Oil of almonds is usually applied externally, and 
rubbed in warm, generally with very beneficial results. 
There is also a peculiar kind of soft, fine earth in Syria, 

* The Hebrews appear to have had a similar tradition, as we 
read in the History of ToUt, vii. 4, 6, 7, 16, 17. viii. 2, 3. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



207 



which is much sought after by mothers; this, when 
collected, is brought and warmed near the fire ; it is 
then placed in the cradle, and, being covered with a 
fine counterpane, the child, wrapped in its swaddling 
clothes, is laid on this, the warm earth retaining dryness 
and heat for many hours. Many of the poorer people 
lay their infants on the earth itself, and then cover 
them over warmly. In all cases it appears to have a 
beneficial effect on children, who seldom or ever catch 
cold. If you wish to incur the displeasure and dislike 
of a young mother in Syria, there are two certain 
methods of gaining this end ; the first is to step across 
any baby -linen that may be lying about the ground ; 
the second is to rock the cradle when the child is not 
in it ; both these are considered very unfavourable to 
the child, and some mothers carry these ridiculous 
superstitions to such a pitch, that they dislike any 
notice being taken of their children, even though the 
praise be accompanied with the indispensable " mashal- 
lahs" ; but if there is one thing more than another that 
young mothers have a superstitious horror of, it is the 
visits or enquiries of a barren woman; she, it is sup- 
posed, must entertain a jealousy of those more fortunate 
than herself, and her praises be insincere and terrible. 

To such an extent do these ridiculous superstitions 
prevail, that if, by any misfortune, a child should 
happen to die, even though it be a year after any 
remarks may have been made by a childless woman, 
these remarks have been treasured up, and the evil is 
laid at her door. Children are usually weaned in their 
fourteenth or fifteenth month, and then they are for a 
short time nourished principally on cow's or goafs 
milk ; but by the time a child is eighteen months old, 
it has learned to eat of all manner of dishes, and they 



208 



THE THISTLE AND 



are so pampered and indulged in this respect, that from 
the minute they awake till they fall asleep again, their 
stomachs have hardly any respite. Fruit, bread, cheese, 
meat ; anything and everything is set before them from 
the very false notion that, the more they eat, the faster 
and the stronger they will grow. 

This notion prevails throughout, and it is imagined 
that strength cannot be gained except by hearty eating. 
So that when a man is very ill, and a doctor is sent 
for, his friends are all clamorous and anxious to tell 
him how many hours has elapsed since he last partook 
of food, and to beg of him to insist on the patient's 
eating something forthwith, or to give him some 
medicine that will make him eat. It is quite beyond 
their comprehension to understand that in some in- 
stances food would be very deleterious in its effects. 
A man or a child has only to say, " Ena-juaan" or " I 
am hungry," and it would be considered a heinous sin 
not to gratify this craving instantly. All this, however, 
is pardonable when the real motives, those of sincere 
love and pity for the sufferer, are considered, mistaken 
though they may be ; but time and education can alone 
remedy this evil. So soon as the boy is able, unaided, 
to run about and talk, he is taken in hand by his 
parent; his dress is always of the best obtainable 
materials, and if his parent be a merchant or a shop- 
keeper, he accompanies him to his office, and there, 
seated cross-legged, begins to ape the actions and con- 
versation of his father. He is early instructed in lessons 
of sedateness and self-respect, and if not cheerfully 
willing to obey and listen, a few taps of the rod soon 
bring him to his senses. Slight castigations are 
generally inflicted by the father in the absence of the 
mother, for otherwise they would be of no effect. 



THE CEDAH OF LEBANON. 



209 



Some mothers are very attached to their first-horn so 
that they would willingly sacrifice their own lives 
rather than that their darling should suffer ever so 
slight an affront. Whipping a child in a mother's 
presence would invariably lead to high words and ill 
feeling, and the result would be, that the child, 
whipped by one parent and petted by the other, 
would naturally imagine itself very ill used — hate the 
father and love the mother. The good effects of the 
punishment would be lost, and the child only grow 
more wary and naughty. To avoid these family broils, 
the father early accustoms his son to accompany him 
to his place of business ; there, unseen by the mother's 
eye, the child soon learns implicit obedience to his 
father's will, and as this obedience is at first always 
rewarded by some small present of fruit or so forth, 
the child grows in love as well as in obedience. It is 
surprising what sage little fellows, of only five years 
old, one meets perched up cross-legged in the shops of 
their fathers ; they are so well versed in the every-day 
business of the profession, that the father can repose 
every confidence in them, and leave them for hours 
together to deal with customers, weigh out, bargain, 
and effect sales. A child naturally takes a pride in 
thus early finding itself useful and important, and there 
are few children in the world that are more precocious 
than those of my native country. A child brought up 
in this way would think it highly indecorous to romp 
and play about during business hours. In the evening, 
however, he is permitted to repair to the fields with his 
companions ; the onus of business has been laid aside, 
and the perfect child shews itself once more in the 
merry game or joyous laugh of the sportive crew. 

By the time a child is six years old, he seldom, if 



210 



THE THISTLE AND 



ever, requires chastisement; indeed, he thinks to be 
scolded is a perfect disgrace, and is consequently ever 
on the guard not to incur his father's displeasure. The 
father, who now thinks it time that his son should be 
instructed to read and write, works upon the feelings 
of the boy so as to excite in him a great desire for 
learning. He usually commences by telling him that 
he is quite ashamed of having such an ignorant son, 
whereas his neighbour's children are all well instructed ; 
then citing over a few instances, where the children are 
invariably older than his own, the cjiild protests that 
he only lacks opportunity, and the next day his school- 
ing commences. 

The etiquette of Syrian manners is early instilled 
into the mind of the Syrian boy ; he is taught, on first 
rising in the morning, after prayers and the necessary 
ablutions, to wish the " Saboh il Kahir" ("good morning," 
or, more literally, like the Irish expression, " the top of 
the morning") to every individual of the household, 
commencing with the father and finishing with the 
lowest menial in the establishment. After this, the son 
sees that his father is supplied with the necessary 
coffee, a slice of toast, and his narghili, and then next 
to his father he ranks himself, excepting when strangers 
are present. On the arrival of a guest, he is taught to 
go forth and welcome him as far as the threshold of 
the entrance-door, and this he does meekly, taking and 
kissing the hand of the visitor if a man of advanced age, 
at the same time overwhelming him with such flattering 
compliments as, for instance, "My thoughts have 
always been concentrated on you, O light of my 
eyes \" The boy then follows the guest to the mistaha, 
where his father is ready to receive him, and having 
busied himself ordering necessary refreshments, he 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



211 



returns to the divan, and seating himself at some dis- 
tance from the others, listens in respectful silence to 
their conversation, or pulling out the brass inkhorn 
from his side (Ezekiel ix.), which contains likewise his 
stock of pens (and is an inseparable companion, 
being always thrust into the girdle and carried about 
with him from morning till night), he possesses him- 
self of some stray piece of paper, may be the back of 
a letter, and improves the moments as they fly by 
furthering his knowledge in arithmetic. 

When a priest calls at the house, then the son is all 
attention ; none but himself is permitted to serve him ; 
he replenishes the pipe-bowls, fetches the fire, hands 
him the coffee and other refreshments, and each time 
retires from the presence of the rev. father with fresh 
blessings heaped upon his head. The son is early 
taught to listen, but never to speak unless first spoken 
to, to be deferential to all old people, kind to the poor, 
and especially to the blind, sympathising with servants, 
whose faults he must correct with mildness and leniency, 
and above all, to abhor and hold in utter detestation 
all strong drinks and drunkards. You may travel from 
one end of Syria to the other, and mingle with every 
grade of every creed, and I may safely state, that 
drunkards are rarely met with. None but those who 
have travelled in Europe, or have mixed with European 
society, are addicted to this vice. 

The son is taught to adhere strictly to all laws of 
cleanliness. There are few people that are more rigid 
in the observance of them than the Syrian. On first 
rising, and on going to bed, before and after every 
meal, before and after every little promenade, hands 
and face are washed with soap and water and a few 
leaves of the lemon-tree ; the mouth is also rinsed out, 



212 



THE THISTLE AND 



sometimes with simple water, sometimes with rose or 
orange-flower water, according to the opulence or 
poverty of the man. Tooth-brushes are unknown 
among the Syrians. On entering a house, he is taught 
to leave his shoes before intruding into the visitors' 
hall, and with light yellow slippers on, treads over the 
carpet, kissing the hands of all the elders who may 
chance to be seated in the room. On entering a 
church in some parts of the country, he leaves his shoes 
outside. This practice dates from the period of Moses 
and the burning bush, when the Lord addressed Moses, 
saying, C( Draw not nigh hither : put off thy shoes from 
off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is Holy 
ground" (Exod. iii. 6). Likewise he also lifts the 
turban off his head for a while, and then replaces it. 
During the reading of the Gospel and Belief all the 
males remain uncovered. 

So soon as a boy's education is completed, and this 
simply consists in his being able to read and write 
Arabic, with a slight knowledge of arithmetic, then the 
father anxiously looks out for some opening which may 
enable his son thus early to acquire a knowledge of the 
world, and of the necessity of fighting one's own 
battles, so as to be independent of the support of 
others; but though the son may earn a sufficiency to 
maintain himself without drawing on his father's 
revenue, he still remains an inmate of the parental 
roof ; indeed, in many instances he never quits it, and 
it is not uncommon to see the son a man of mature 
years himself, with his own children fast growing up to 
manhood, paying the most implicit obedience and 
respect to his father's commands and wishes, just with 
the same deference that a child of six years old would 
obey an austere father ; indeed such is the universal 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



213 



reverence with which parents are treated, that (though 
these instances are rare) fathers have been known to 
chastise their sons when they had attained the mature 
age of thirty-five or forty ; and the son, though father 
of a family himself, and though smarting from shame 
and indignation at such an exposure before the eyes of 
his own wife and children, has meekly borne the chas- 
tisement and kissed the hand that corrected him, 
" Honour thy father and thy mother that thy days may 
be long in the land/' is a commandment acted up to 
the letter in Syria, and any son transgressing this law, 
would meet with small sympathy from his countrymen, 
would be shunned by all, and be an object of indig- 
nation and scorn to all Orientals of whatever creed. 
Even that ferocious tyrant, Djessar Pacha, who never 
hesitated to sacrifice human life, whose wives and con- 
cubines were all massacred by his own hands to satiate 
his furious jealousy and rage against one unhappy girl, 
who had been discovered carrying on a flirtation with 
an officer of his court ; even he, villain though he was, 
respected this law and enforced others to respect it. A 
story is told of a young Christian, who, being newly 
married, took possession of the whole of his father's 
house, leaving the poor old man, who was a widower 
and a cripple, barely sufficient rags to cover his naked- 
. ness, or food to satisfy his hunger. The Pacha, hearing 
of this atrocious conduct, sent for the miscreant, and 
when he was brought trembling into his presence, ex- 
claimed, "Hast thou no fear of God? In an hour's 
time let me hear that your father, dog that you are, is 
in the possession of every comfort and luxury ; or, by 
my beard, your head shall answer for this crime." 

When the son is about twelve years of age, his parents 
begin to look about them to choose out from amongst 



214 



THE THISTLE AND 



the neighbours a suitable wife for their first-born. This 
is an arduous undertaking, and the son is often con- 
sulted as to whether he has any particular choice 
amongst his playmates and companions. Sometimes 
he has, sometimes he leaves all to the good judgment of 
his mother, always, however, stipulating, that the girl 
must be young, pretty, and good-tempered. At length 
the choice falls upon some one or other, and the pre- 
liminaries are arranged, the dower to be paid for her 
settled, handkerchiefs bought, rings ordered, and a 
choice party of intimate friends invited, who, accom- 
panied by the priest, repair to the house of the intended 
bride's father. The girl is brought into the room 
closely veiled, the young lad being present also — vows, 
and rings, and presents, are exchanged — the priest 
pronounces his blessing — the pair are betrothed, and 
from that day till the wedding takes place, become 
utter strangers to each other. They may have been 
bosom companions only the day before, romping with 
each other from early childhood, but the moment that 
the betrothal has taken place, there is an inseparable 
barrier to their meeting or conversing again till the 
church shall have pronounced them man and wife. 
Betrothals generally last six months, but sometimes 
mere children are betrothed, and then they have to 
wait till both have arrived at years of maturity before 
they can be married. It seldom if ever happens, except- 
ing of course in cases of death, that these betrothals 
are put aside or broken, the church considering the 
vows then pledged as binding on either side as the 
marriage vow itself. 

I may here be permitted to say, that I trust many of 
my fair readers will, after perusing this, feel convinced 
of the binding and solemn nature of the marriage tie 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



215 



amongst Christians in Syria. I have been continually 
asked by ladies the number of wives I left in Syria 
(I may here publicly state that I am not a mar- 
ried man, though I fervently hope some bright day 
to crown my earthly bliss with an English wife) — they 
seemed quite incredulous on my informing them, that 
only one is permitted by our religion — that we are 
not Mahomedans — that religion alone admitting of 
four lawful wives, besides concubines ; but I can con- 
fidently assert, that the greater part of even these have 
but one wife. Possibly, in default of issue, another may 
be taken — this, however, is the exception, not the rule ; 
and though polygamy has existed to a greater or less 
extent in the East since the days of the Psalmist David, 
and his son, the wise King Solomon, still where it is 
mostly practised now-a-days is amongst the wild Arab 
tribes, south of Gaza and the Nosairigh. Of these latter 
I have known an instance of a man marrying two wives 
on the same day, both young maidens, from different 
villages. But amongst the Turks the practice is any- 
thing but prevalent ; in proof of which I may quote as 
instances, the late Grand Vizier Ali Pacha, the former 
one, Eeschid Pacha, and Cabuli Effendi, the present 
talented Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and most of 
the leading Turkish gentlemen -who have resided in 
Christian countries, all these have but one wife. 

Although it is most true, that in Europe polygamy 
is disallowed, I need not say how often the marriage- 
vow is broken, and how many are the delinquents. 
Often old men even have mistresses in addition to their 
own lawful wife. Much of this corruption evidently 
arises from the iniquitous practice of mortage de conve- 
yance, so often speculated in by most match-making 
mothers, in the two greatest capitals of Europe. Men 



216 



THE THISTLE AND 



and women, who have not a single idea in common* 
and no sympathy with each other, are inveigled into 
marriages becanse the one has wealth and the other 
titles, or what is worse, beauty is bartered for gold. I 
am quite at a loss to account for the utter want of 
feeling in those parents who can ruthlessly sacrifice the 
happiness and peace of mind of their own child, by 
marrying a girl, perhaps of sixteen, to a half-idiotic or 
toothless man, in infirmity or age, thus ill calculating 
either for the happiness or protection of inexperienced 
youth. (/ know of such instances) . It is not in nature that 
such a couple should be happy; for a young man cannot 
be fascinated by the charms of a haggish old woman, 
neither is it possible, where such disparities exist, for a 
young girl to nourish one spark of that warm affection 
which should ever exist between man and wife. 

Now, in Syria, such marriages never occur. A man 
takes a wife for a helpmate, not for a puppet — for a 
companion in health — a consolation in sickness, to help 
him in enjoying the bounteous gifts of nature, or to 
soothe when the cloud of affliction rests over his path- 
way. This was why marriage was constituted, and this 
is why people get married in the East. It is true that 
an Oriental wife cannot paint, or play the piano or 
harp, but she can sing in her own quiet way, and that 
sweetly, too — never sweeter than when she is hushing 
her first-born to slumber ; and she can dance on auy 
very festive occasion, not the giddy flaunting waltz or 
polka, but a quiet measured tread, graceful and be- 
coming without being indecorous. It may be that a 
man does sometimes marry a girl possessed of a wealthy 
dower ; but these instances are rare, and when they do 
occur, the dower is, for the most part, invested in 
jewels or in lands. Lf in the latter, the husband enjoys 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



217 



a life-interest in them — he is indeed lord and master of 
the property, and can make any improvements he sees 
fit : the former generally decorate the wife's tnrban on 
festive occasions ; bnt in case of misfortune, then these 
are pledged or sold off one by one to meet the emer- 
gency. Far be it from me by these observations to throw 
any slur upon the married life of the people of Western 
Europe ; I merely wish to show to those who imagine 
that polygamy is universal in the East, that the same 
thing, but in a different form, is as prevalent in their 
own country. The English, indeed, are, upon the 
whole, freer from this vice than most other civilised 
nations, and their domestic felicity far exceeds that of 
any other people. 

But to return to the immediate subject. The son, 
as soon as he is married, is fairly embarked in life, and 
if his father be a widower, then the whole of the house- 
hold arrangements devolve upon the young wife. The 
son is generally master of the house, and the old man 
retires from business and the bustle of life, passing the 
rest of his days as a guest or sort of pensioner in his 
own house, and seldom meddling with its domestic 
economy. Should the mother, however, still survive, 
she devotes her time to instructing her daughter-in-law 
in domestic matters, and also accompanies her when 
she goes out. 

There is one thing very praiseworthy amongst the 
Syrians, and a trait in our character which many 
civilized nations would do well to take for an example. 
I allude to untiring love and charity between not 
only members of one household, but all relations or 
connexions, however distantly connected. One seldom 
or ever hears of a father and his children being on 
bad terms, or of quarrels and broils between sisters 

L 



218 



THE THISTLE AND 



and brothers. Of course they are not exempt from 
angry passions ; high words may rise between them, 
and even ill feeling rancour in their hearts, but they 
never allow " the sun to set on their wrath f ' and if 
only for appearance sake, they make it up again 
speedily, and converse and chat as freely as ever. In 
this respect they act up to a wise, if not elegant, 
French proverb — " Le linge sale doit etre lave en 
famille" No strangers are permitted to rejoice at their 
discords, or mock at their infirmities. 

Then again, so long as one member of a family is well 
off, he will never suffer his poor relations to feel want. 
If he can find them employment, well and good ; if not, 
they have the shelter of his own house, and food from 
his own table; and in return, all he expects is, that 
they will lend a hand at being useful. Every want is 
supplied them ; and if even clothes be necessary, these 
are provided. When two or more relations of a poor 
man are well to do, they join together to assist him, 
and this in a great measure accounts for the scarcity of 
street-beggars in most parts of Syria. A Syrian would 
consider it a disgrace to his name, that any member of 
his family should be suffered to want whilst he had a 
crumb to spare, and it would be looked upon as a 
heinous sin in a religious point of view. In England, 
perhaps, it would not be fashionable to have a poor 
relation out at elbows tarnishing the splendidly fur- 
nished drawing-room of a wealthy relative ; or it would 
not be convenient to curtail the luxury and voluptuous 
display of every-day wealth, to contribute a pittance for 
the maintenance of a starving nephew or a crippled 
cousin. This may not be fashionable, but it would be 
Christian-like ; and rest assured, O slave of the world, 
so full of all " the pomps and vanities of this wicked 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



219 



world/' that when He comes, who gave even his life 
for yonr salvation, then the poor nnedncated Syrian — 
the man who has received little — will have a far lighter 
account to balance with the Great Author of eternal 
life, than yon who have possessed and have withheld. 

Public prostitution was a thing entirely unknown 
in Syria until intercourse with Europeans introduced 
it first into the sea-ports ; from thence it gradually 
spread inland. Formerly the most severe punish- 
ments were inflicted for this crime, and where the 
authorities failed to interfere, the relatives took the 
law into their own hands, and very summarily disposed 
of an offender against their honour. Even now-a-days, 
such poor creatures are rare, and if by chance one 
meets with one, she is invariably under the protection of 
some European — of itself a sufficient guarantee from 
punishment. I remember a most shocking instance of 
the punishment inflicted upon a woman of this class 
some eighteen years ago at Beyrout. Her family were 
neighbours of mine. She was several times warned 
to be on her guard, but totally disregarded these 
warnings, till at length, some of the men connected 
with her family entered (with the father's knowledge 
and consent) the house of her paramour at night, and 
after hewing her to pieces, threw her remains into a 
well attached to a house belonging to my uncle, the 
Rev. Kouri Georgius Risk Allah. 

The girls in Syria are principally educated in house- 
wifery, such as baking, washing, cooking, etc. Starch- 
ing and ironing are as yet unknown, save to a few 
aspiring geniuses at Beyrout, who, from this knowledge, 
derive no small emolument. The girls are also in- 
structed in the management of all household affairs, 
the care of poultry, and even of making cream cheese 



220 



THE THISTLE AND 



and lehan, and also in household superstitions. Amongst 
these last, they are taught — 

Never to rock a cradle when it is empty, because 
evil spirits are very fond, so say old crones in Syria, of 
being rocked. 

Never to sweep the house, after sunset, as this is only 
practised when there has been a death in the family 
and after the body has been carried out. 

Never to look into a mirror after sunset, for a afreet 
is sure to be peeping over their shoulder, and he may 
shew himself to them in such a very unpleasant 
manner as might frighten them to death instanter. 
Only think of this, ye opera- going and ball-frequenting 
young ladies ! What a hard case it would be if you 
were forbidden to look into a mirror after candles have 
been rang for. 

Never to cut their finger or toe nails near a basin of 
water; for if the nail should chance to fall into the 
water, they have nothing left to them but to make 
their will and go to bed, for, according to the logic of 
all old women, die they must. 

And last and not least — Never to interrupt or harm 
the black snake of the house — Rye il sauda. In almost 
every house in Syria there is a peculiar black serpent, 
large but very harmless, which takes up its abode in 
the cellar of the house, and will never afterwards quit 
its nook or corner till killed, or till the house falls, or 
the snake dies. No Syrian would ever intentionally kill 
these snakes, for, besides keeping mice and rats away, 
they are held in such deep veneration that endless 
are the absurd supertitions and tales told about them, 
all of which I myself once firmly believed in. Amongst 
other things, it is said, that if you destroy one of these 
snakes, the mate will be sure to seek for and obtain 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



."221 



vengeance. They pretend, further, that these snakes 
are doatingly fond of milk, and that the smell of it will 
immediately attract them. It is commonly believed,, 
that a young mother may he sure, if she is not on the 
watch, that the black snake will come in the night and 
feed oh her breasts, till it has drained them so dry that 
there is nothing left for the infant; and again, with 
regard to the child, should the snake be disappointed 
in getting its supply of milk from the fountain-head, 
that it will then resort to the artifice of inserting its 
tail into the infant" s mouth, and so tickling its throat 
as to cause it to be sick, and thus supply itself whh 
food. But the most ludicrous story told is about the 
conscientiousness of one of these snakes, a story which 
is firmly behoved by most Orientals. It rims thus : 
••' In Syria, it is the custom of every family to lay up a 
year's provisions of all the necessaries of life, in store- 
rooms attached to the house : these provisions consist 
of melted butter in jars for cooking rice, wheat, burghal, 
etc. Now, as the story goes, one of these black snakes 
once deposited her eggs in one of these store-rooms, a 
hole in the corner of which led to the serpent'' s nest. 
The young ones had been hatched, and were ail 
assembled together gambolling about, when some of the 
children, happening to surprise these young snakes at 
their frolics, seeing that they were very small, whipped 
m up in theh handkerchiefs, and ran off with them 
to the other end of the house. Xow mark what might 
have been the serious results of this frolic. Mother 
snake coming home could not find her young ones, and 
made a pretty to do about it. At last she discovered 
that the children had stolen them, and in her rage and 
vexation determined to be revenged on the whole 
family. Accordingly, with the assistance of her tail, 



222 



THE THISTLE AND 



she removed the cover of the butter-jar, and inserting 
her fangs into the butter, succeeded in poisoning the 
whole mass. By and bye, home came the lady of the 
house from the bath, and no sooner did she see what 
the children had been about, than, with many screams 
and exclamations, she insisted on the young snakes 
being carried back again. No sooner said than done ; 
and now mother snake began deeply to regret what she 
had done. How to remedy the evil was the question — 
speak she could not, nor had she any other method of 
warning the family not to use the butter. Well, now 
what do you think she did ? She called the male snake 
to her assistance, and these two, coiling themselves 
round the thin jar, squeezed with all their might and 
main, till the jar broke into a hundred pieces, the 
melted butter ran out on the ground, and was lost, and 
the family were saved from being poisoned/' 

This is one amongst the many fabulous tales about 
the black household snake of Syria; but such like 
superstitions need not startle educated people in Eng- 
land, when they remember the endless fables that pass 
current in their own land about many animals, plants, 
and things — even to coffins darting out of fires, wind- 
ing-sheets in candles, and lover-like apparitions in 
tea-cups. 

It must not be supposed that the higher classes of 
Syrians are not scrupulous with regard to the laws 
of etiquette; on the contrary, they strictly enforce 
them. If Kowagar Bustros and his family called to 
see Kowagar Saba and his family on this Tuesday, 
Kowagar Saba will return the visit next Tuesday. 
If Kowagar Domian invite Kowagar Michali and 
family to dinner, Kowagar Michali and family give a 
return party to Kowagar Domian. But the grand day 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



223 



for receiving visits in every house is the Eed, or festival 
of the master of the house, which is annually celebrated 
on that saint's day whose name he has taken, and whose 
patronage he acknowledges. Thus all those of the 
name of Michali remain at home on St. Michael's day, 
and all their acquaintances call to see them, and to 
wish them health, luck, and prosperity; some bring 
fruits, some sweetmeats, and few come empty-handed. 
If this usage is productive of no very beneficial effects, 
it at least serves to promote a kindly feeling betwixt 
neighbours and friends ; and this, after all, is a grand 
point to observe if one wishes to be comfortable and 
happy in this world. 

When a Syrian dies, wax-tapers are sent round to 
his friends as a notice that they are invited to the 
funeral. When they are assembled in the church, the 
tapers are lit, the corpse is placed in the centre, and the 
service is read ; then the candles are extinguished, the 
body is buried, and " his place knows him no more ;> 
(Job vii. 9—10). 



224 



THE THISTLE AND 



CHAPTER XIV. 

SYRIA AND HER INHABITANTS. 

In this chapter I shall endeavour to take a brief review 
of the country and people — the drawback to the ad- 
vancement and welfare of the latter — and the induce- 
ments held out by the former for colonisation by 
emigrants — with the mutual benefits accruing there- 
from. 

That portion of the Turkish dominions which lies to 
the southward of Tyre, and includes all the country 
comprised within the boundary limits of Gaza and 
Hebron to the south, and Tyre to the north, is, with 
very few exceptions, an uncultivated waste, owing, not 
to the want of fertility of soil, but to the indolence of 
its inhabitants. The sea-ports, or roadsteads, are at all 
seasons of the year open and exposed, and in the winter 
months dangerous in the extreme for shipping; in 
proof of this, I have only to cite the many shipwrecks 
which have occurred within the last few years at Jaffa 
and Caipha. Gaza has only, during the present year, 
risen into notice, two English schooners having arrived 
at Belfast direct from that port, deeply laden with grain. 
But the roadstead of Gaza is perilous for vessels at all 
seasons of the year, as the wind blows in shore ; the 
holding ground is bad ; the inducements held out to 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



225 



commerce very small; the inhabitants lazy and im- 
poverished ; little or • no consumption for seaport goods 
and British manufactures (the natives of the villages in 
the interior restricting themselves to clothing which is 
made of coarse stuffs manufactured by themselves or 
imported from Egypt) ; the desert no field for specu- 
lations ; and such little European produce as finds its 
way into the interior being carried thither by petty 
retail merchants, natives, who supply themselves with 
an annual stock from the ofttimes glutted market of 
Beyrout. With respect to the export trade, the south 
of Palestine supplies abundance of wheat, sessame, and 
other grain ; but the quality of much of this grain is 
superior to that produced in Asia Minor. 

The people inhabiting these southern parts of Pales- 
tine are almost a distinct race from their brethren 
farther north; in manners and customs, and even 
in complexion and stature, differing materially from 
the northern Syrian: the great heat of the climate 
and the general scarcity of water rendering them an 
indolent and careless people, sadly lacking in cleanli- 
ness, and without spirit or energy to make any exertions 
for the amelioration of their wretched condition. After 
leaving Tyre, and as we proceed south, mulberry -plan- 
tations quickly disappear; thus the one grand staple 
commodity is wanting, and the occupation of rearing 
the silk- worm, at once a healthy and amusing pastime 
and a lucrative labour, is denied the inhabitants of 
Southern Palestine. With hard manual labour, pri- 
vation, and exposure to intense heat, and all the evils of 
comparative serfdom, they have no pleasurable recre- 
ations to lighten the arduous pursuits of their every-day 
avocations : the plough and the spade — the spade and 
the plough — incessant toil and small recompense — 

l 5 



226 



THE THISTLE AND 



unwillingness to work, yet goaded to it by dire necessity, 
the pangs of starvation, or the chastisements inflicted 
by unrelenting landlords and landowners. Such is their 
unhappy lot. 

Their huts are miserable, their children squalid and 
unhealthy; they toil through a life of troubles and 
sorrows, and have the poor satisfaction of knowing that 
they are possessed of no benefits which might, in after- 
years, accrue to their children's advantage. From 
generation to generation they live and die, are born 
and given in marriage, but the tenure of their serfdom 
is still the same. They are nominally free subjects of 
an enlightened government, but virtually the slaves of 
circumstances, groaning under the petty chiefs and 
subordinate understrappers of government, who have 
yet to learn submission to the will and mandates of 
the present excellent Sultan, M)del Medjid Khan, 
whose reign has already been distinguished by many 
great improvements in the condition of the Byah popu- 
lation. Many of the firmans issued of late years have 
not as yet come into force in the interior of Turkey 
and in those possessions of the Ottoman empire situated 
farthest from the capital. In the course of some years 
it is, however, to be hoped, that the most remote 
villages will be benefited by the improvements made in 
Western Europe. 

The disposition of the natives of Southern Palestine 
has a tinge of sullen moroseness in it, which has 
doubtless been ingrafted in them from generation to 
generation ; there is nothing couleur -de-rose in their 
sphere of life and action; and the superstition they 
inherit from their ancestors is not that pure and lovely 
religion of Christ which can cast a halo around, whilst 
it strengthens, encourages, and supports in the darkest 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



227 



hours of affliction and woe. It may be, that, under 
better auspices — could the people be brought to have a 
common interest in their own and each other's welfare, 
were there less animosity and party feeling existing 
between the various creeds, could they be brought to 
nurture less of deadly malice and hatred towards each 
other, all combining in one common cause with a 
mutual good understanding — that the fate of Southern 
Palestine and its prevailing feature of sterile barrenness 
might be changed. The country, people, and climate, 
might yield to the introduction of agriculture and other 
improvements, and be materially bettered — if land were 
meted out in portions with a sure guarantee to the 
cultivator that his toil and labour would eventually be 
recompensed by his reaping some fruits for himself from 
the sweat of his brow to benefit his children — were the 
lower classes of the Moslems less avaricious, the Jews 
less despised, the Christians less exposed to the grinding 
system of the land-owners and admitted to reap fair 
profits from the fields they plough and the gardens they 
cultivate for their wealthier and most powerful master ; 
then, peradventure, the seacoast and the cities near and 
round about Jerusalem would gradually re-assume a 
right to that blessed title which ascribed to its coun- 
tries the appellation of a land rich indeed, and flowing 
with milk and honey. But alas for the land of Canaan ! 
the portion of the tribe of Judah is become an unsightly 
wilderness; and of Zion it may be truly said, "Thy 
house is left unto thee desolate." 

From Gaza to Tyre the whole line of sea-coast is 
inhabited by people who, with the exception of Jaffa, 
Caiffa, and Acre, are professionally goatherds and farmers 
— a simple people that subsist chiefly upon milk and 
cheese, with fruit and vegetables, and who are merely 



228 



THE THISTLE AND 



the hirelings of the owners of the large flocks committed 
to their charge. These goats furnish the surrounding 
country with the only palatable meat to be procured 
in these hot regions. Mutton is scarce, and beef seldom 
heard of; hence poultry and goats are the staple com- 
modity of the meat-market. A young kid of a year's 
growth is up to this very day often chosen as a choice 
delicacy. Who does not call to mind the crafty art of 
Rebecca is seasoning the well-flavoured dish so as to 
make it vie with the tenderest venison? A kid, 
seasoned with spice and stuffed with sweet herbs, rice, 
and the kernel of the fine fruit (at the very recollection 
of which I hunger), is the festive dish of every house 
in Palestine on seasons of mirth and great rejoicings. 
The father of the newly-married bridegroom, tottering 
from extreme old age, will issue forth from the festive 
board after having partaken of this delicacy, with a face 
radiant with smiles and contentment, pouring forth 
blessings on him that prepared the savoury meat. 

It is seldom now-a-days that men die of extreme old 
age and debility in the countries round about Jerusalem ; 
but where such instances occur, and where the faculties 
are retained to the last, and the human functions are 
in full operation, then rest assured, that the tent scene 
in Isaac's last closing moments — so beautifully por- 
trayed in the Holy Scriptures — is still vividly re-acted 
up to this very day, with the sole exception perhaps of 
the deceit practised by J acob and his mother, which 
omission may solely arise from the fact that the chil- 
dren of this world have now become wiser in their 
generation, and are no longer to be imposed upon by 
such simple and rude artifices. 

But in their poverty and misery, the children of 
Southern Syria must bow the neck meekly to the yoke 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



229 



till a brighter day dawns from above upon tbeir affliction, 
and till the curse is removed and the blessing of the 
Almighty shall descend, like the rich dew of Hermon, 
upon their country and themselves, and more than 
amply recompense them for centuries of suffering and 
woe. They must remember the words spoken by the 
Prophet Isaiah — " O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, 
and the staff in their hand is mine indignation." 

With Sidon the whole face of the country changes, 
and here commences that luxuriant and verdant pas- 
turage and foliage, which continue increasing as we 
progress to the northward, and may be said to reach a 
climax of beauty and profuse richness in the districts 
of Lebanon, Tripoli, Lattachia, and Antioch. Vast 
mulberry plantations, orchards of delicious fruits, and 
vineyards covered with an endless variety of grapes, 
everywhere delight the eye. At those spots where the 
soil is untilled, and up the lofty sides of the mountains, 
grow the majestic oak, the stately fir, and the lofty 
pine ; every inch of ground being thickly covered with 
wild flowers, blackberry bushes, and the trailing honey- 
suckle. In the neighbourhood of Sidon, even the rare 
exotic banana has now been reared with success, its 
large and handsome leaves and clustering golden fruit 
being a source of wonder and admiration to the Syrian 
who is a stranger to that neighbourhood. Here also 
commences that plentiful supply of clear, crystal water 
which so materially adds to the beauty of the scenery, 
makes cleanliness and comfort a cheap luxuiy to the 
inhabitants, and as a natural consequence, proportionably 
benefits the health of the natives. Children grow up 
surrounded by the choicest gifts of a bountiful Pro- 
vidence, and their young and tender hearts are moulded 
in a meeker and more gentle frame ; their labour is 



230 



THE THISTLE AND 



more congenial to their constitution and habits, and 
the smallest exertion is quickly recompensed by a 
grateful and fruitful return. The shade of many trees 
affords them a welcome shelter ; the waters of many 
cool streams are at hand to quench their slightest 
thirst; and the choice fruits of a hundred orchards, 
maturing to ripeness, afford them a luxurious repast. 
Besides these, the cattle and poultry are more plentiful, 
and of a better sort, and the pasturages are thickly 
dotted with flocks of fine healthy sheep, and milch 
cows in abnndance. The result of all these blessings is, 
that the inhabitants are a healthier, wealthier, and a 
more cheerful race than the people of Southern Pales- 
tine j and the vast supply of honey gathered from the 
wild honey-combs in the neighbouring mountains, and 
the excessive cheapness and excellence of milk renders 
this portion of Syria the land " flowing with milk and 
honey " of the present day. 

Oh that I were possessed of sufficient eloquence to 
prove to that great mass of people who are emigrating 
from the British isles to the far distant shores of 
Australia and North America, the fallacy of the opinion, 
so universally entertained by some English, with regard 
to the risk and danger incurred by those possessed of 
lands within the limits of the Turkish dominions ! 
Would that I could divest them of the idea usually 
run away with by Englishmen, that they would be 
exposing their lives and property to the will and 
pleasure of ferocious three-tailed pachas, such as they 
have read of in books of travels, dated nearly half a 
century back, and whose detestable names and memory 
are now handed down to posterity in tales and Eastern 
ballads. 

The real state of the Turkish empire is quite the 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



231 



reverse to what these good people imagine, and of late 
years any European, particularly since the siege of 
Acre, and an Englishman especially, commands tuiiversal 
respect from all the inhabitants of Syria, rich or poor, 
Christian or Jew. There may be, perhaps, a few of the 
more bigottecl beys and Mahoniedan nobles, who, wish- 
ing to remain in undisturbed possession of their wealth, 
and the monopoly of land and labour, would regard the 
advent of enlightened strangers as an mfringement 
on their position, dignity, and independence j but their 
rage and jealousy would prove as impotent as it would 
be contemptible. 

It is moreover difficult to satisfy Europeans, espe- 
cially Englishmen, that they can make safe investments 
in the Turkish dominions ; but it is only requisite to 
enquire into the tenure of all sorts of property as held 
by Europeans in all parts of Turkey for the last two 
centimes and upwards ; their vested rights have never 
been questioned, and when any injury or loss was 
proved to have been sustained to any such property, 
the official representative of the owner had only to 
submit his claim, and in every instance full and satis- 
factory redress was instantly afforded. I may mention, 
in proof of this, the instance of the French Factory on 
Mount Lebanon, which occurred some years ago, where 
some losses were sustained, owing to some irregularities 
and outrages of the petty local authorities, and other 
villagers, at the time of the insurrection in the Lebanon, 
between the Maronites and the Druses. Europeans hold 
property after this manner, viz., they authorize a rayah 
subject of the Sultan, in whom they can place implicit 
confidence, to buy or purchase such and such a house 
or landed property in his own name ; then the rayah 
makes a transfer of the titles to such property to the 



232 



THE THISTLE AND 



European in lien of some imaginary debt, usually a sum 
far exceeding the value of the property itself. This 
transfer is made in the Cadi's, or Chief Judge's Court ; 
and being registered, becomes valid in Turkish law, and 
is legally recognised as such. It is thus that the oldest 
vested European interests in Turkey are secured and 
possessed, retained and handed down to the lawful 
heirs of the European proprietors. 

Of one thing I am certain, and that is, that the 
middling and poorer classes would hail the arrival of 
English emigrants with rapturous delight ; and in 
stating this, I am not without antecedents to prove 
what I assert. I might instance the case of the late 
lamented and excellent Mr. John Barker, who, for 
many years, lived amongst the wildest and most 
bigoted portion of the natives of Northern Syria (at 
least, they were so when he first went amongst them) ; 
go now and ask whomsoever you will — the richest or 
the poorest — their opinion of the English, and, as if 
with one voice, they will reply — that, taking Mr. 
Barker as a standard, they consider them the best, 
most charitable, and most enlightened people that 
inhabit the earth — the best friends and staunchest sup- 
porters of the Sultan — and a people that they would 
gladly see settled around them. 

Let us quietly argue both sides of the question ; and 
perhaps as an objection to start with, the reader may 
urge, that, in the instance above quoted, the gentleman 
who thus settled in Syria was a wealthy retired Consul 
General, possessing, for that country, an income equal 
to, if not exceeding, that of the most important Pacha 
in Syria, and that, therefore, apart from his wealth, 
the high official position he had sustained in Egypt 
and Aleppo, was a sufficient motive to command esteem 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



233 



and respect amongst the natives ; also in the cases of 
Col. Churchill, who possesses large estates in the moun- 
tains and of many other Europeans, and the unfortunate 
Lady Hester Stanhope. This may be correct to a 
certain extent, but is false in the main. All that now 
remains of Lady Hester Stanhope, who once ruled 
with almost absolute power, the wild Arabs of the 
desert, are the few crumbling ruins of her humble 
abode at Djouni ; her very name is almost forgotten, 
and her sun of life sunk behind the cloud of obscurity, 
But why was this? Simply because she lavished her 
money, when she had any, in vain paraphernalia, and 
giving large sums, as backshish, to unprincipled men, who 
had no sooner spent the money, than they forgot the 
patron. Had she employed her time and means in 
buying land and cultivating it, introducing useful arts, 
etc., then her memento would have been lasting, and 
the boon conferred handed down from generation to 
generation. Mr. Barker's and Col. Churchill's estates 
nourish, and will continue to nourish through many 
years to come. 

The better sorts of peaches and grapes, besides a 
variety of rare Indian and American fruits, which have 
been introduced by English philanthropists, all serve to 
remind the Syrians of the kind friends who introduced 
them; and many who have risen from obscurity into 
comparative independence, hourly bless the good men 
whose hands showered these benefits upon them. It 
would be in the power, more or less, of every English- 
man emigrating to Syria, to confer a lasting benefit upon 
the natives through the introduction of a better method 
than they possess of cultivating the ground, etc. ; while 
a blacksmith, a skilful carpenter, and a good mason, 
would prove invaluable acquisitions ; and an industrious 



234 



THE THISTLE AND 



farmer might initiate them into the art of making whole- 
some cheese, in lien of the hard unpalatable stuff that 
now bears that name. These would be the greatest of 
boons to the Syrians; and though naturally a slow people, 
unwilling to deviate from old customs and habits which 
have been handed down to them from generation to 
generation, still the successful working of any newly in- 
troduced system, affording them incontrovertible proofs 
of its yielding a better profit, would very soon induce 
the natives to follow the example of their more civilised 
neighbours, 

The advantages to be derived from emigrating to 
Syria are manifold; but first amongst these let me 
class, what to a patriotic Englishman must be a plea- 
sant thought, the comparative vicinity of this country 
to his native land. Thousands of people are content to 
be cooped up for months in a close confined vessel, 
exposed to all the hardships and sufferings of a long 
sea-voyage, and subjected to the expenses of passage- 
money and outfit, with the almost certainty before 
them, even if they succeed beyond their most sanguine 
wishes, of being exiled from their country for ten or a 
dozen years. I do not now allude to those shoals that 
are flocking over to Australia, tempted from home by 
the immense wealth of the Gold-diggings ; nor to the 
possibility of these Gold-diggings being very speedily 
inundated with people who may, when too late, bitterly 
lament the rashness of their proceedings ; neither will 
I advert to the possibility of mines being discovered 
even in so neglected a country as Syria. Some are 
already known; and even copper and iron also exist. 
In Arabia, mountains of turquoise exist, specimens of 
which were exhibited at the Exhibition, and gained a 
prize, by Major C. R. Macdonald, who had also the 



THE CEDAR OE LEBANON. 



235 



honour of presenting the Queen with a pair of magni- 
ficent bracelets. I am arguing with that class of men 
who emigrate simply because they can find no occupa- 
tion for theh professional labour at home. Yet not one 
out of these thousands has moral courage to emigrate 
to Syria, where, if they proceed by a steamer, their 
outfit and passage-money would amount to about one- 
half the expense incurred in going to Australia, — the 
passage barely exceeding a fortnight, and that passage, 
if the season is well chosen, performed in the height of 
summer, with hardly a squall to ruffle the placid waters 
of the Mediterranean. Here, then, at the very outset, 
is a saving of at least one-half of the expense which 
must be incurred in going to Australia. 

We will now suppose our emigrant arrived in Syria, 
with the surplus cash in his pocket j he here converts 
each golden sovereign into more than one hundred 
piastres, and he must be a spendthrift indeed if he 
cannot live well and comfortably for ten piastres per 
day, or at the rate of four sovereigns a month. In this 
interval he has had enough time to look about him, 
and determine upon the town or position in which he 
intends fixing his abode ; and he has had also, dming 
this short period, the satisfaction of writing to his 
Mends at home, and of receiving their answers and 
congratulations on his safe arrival. Listen to this, O 
ye that wotdd still persist in emigrating to Australia, 
and remember how many months must elapse ere the 
happy tidings of your safe arrival and its reply can 
reach you. 

If the emigrant be a farmer he is not Ions; in fixing 
upon a fit site for the establishment of his farm-house. 
The immediate neighbourhood of Tripoli, Beyrout, 
Tyre, Sidon, and Jaffa being best adapted for his pur- 



236 



THE THISTLE AND 



pose, the shipping there and the towns themselves 
affording an ample market for the consnmption of live 
stock. He will have cheapness to contend against in 
the sale of cattle and poultry, hut the superior quality 
of what would be produced by a careful farmer, his 
stall-fed oxen and sheep, and well-fattened poultry, 
would, amongst Europeans and the wealthiest natives, 
command eventually a ready and profitable sale. Cyprus 
would supply him with young turkeys at an average 
value of about a shilling a head, and with every other 
species of poultry. If he wished to experimentalise in 
improving the breed of cattle, he might do so advan- 
tageously, not to mention the profit from wool and hides. 
The one article of cheese alone, in exchange, would be to 
him a source of certain gain. One half of the inhabitants 
subsist for a great portion of the year almost entirely upon 
this food, wretchedly as it is made by my countrymen. 

Should the emigrant be a lover of a cold climate, he 
can easily fix his abode on the snow-capped pinnacles 
of Lebanon, where he may enjoy perpetual frost. If 
another should prefer a milder climate, he can calculate 
his temperature almost to a nicety, and by carrying a 
pocket thermometer about with him, go higher or 
descend lower, as fancy or inclination might prompt. 
Should he love to luxuriate in heat, he has only to 
descend to the sea-side, and there he will revel in all 
the glory of sunshine, glare, and warm land-breezes. 
Mechanics, etc., would find ready occupation in the 
very heart of the busiest towns in Syria, and what is 
more, such is the high repute of English mechanics and 
artizans amongst the natives of Syria, that even old 
grey-bearded Mahomedans would gladly apprentice 
themselves, giving in return their manual labour. 

It may be urged, with regard to climate, that the 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



237 



heat of all parts of Syria is too intense to admit of 
English labourers being employed in the cultivation of 
the immense tracts of waste land that so abound in 
various districts. My reply to this is, that both food 
and labour being extremely cheap in that country, and 
the produce, whether grain or silk, disposable at an 
enormous profit in the English markets, the proceeds of 
such sales would enable the small capitalist to employ 
sufficient labourers under him, so that, in short, he 
would be simply a teacher and overseer, managing his 
own property, and could, in a very few years, afford 
to have an official in his pay, whilst he himself perhaps 
might be, with his family, enjoying a cheap jaunt to his 
own country. 

But there is also another large class of emigrants, to 
whose means and occupations Syria is even better suited 
than to all the foregoing. I mean persons of a certain 
fixed moderate income ; those in receipt of an annual 
rent or interest, varying in amount from £50 to £300. 
A man in London, especially if he have a wife and 
family to support, is comparatively a pauper if he can 
earn no more than £504>er annum. Take that man to 
Syria \ plant him in any part of Lebanon, or in any 
other district of that country, and he has no longer 
pounds and shillings to mete out carefully so as to 
cover the annual outlay for household expenses ; but he 
has now to deal with piastres and paras. Eor one 
piastre he can get four ordinary penny loaves ; for half 
a piastre he can get five eggs ; for another half, as 
much fresh butter and milk as will serve his purpose 
for the day, and unless he be an extraordinary eater, 
leave an abundant surplus. Thus for two piastres we 
have seen him provided with milk, butter, and bread — 
three staple commodities — and the additional luxury of 



238 



THE THISTLE AND 



fresh-laid eggs. An oak, or 2jlbs. of mutton, would 
cost him about two and a half piastres, and he spends a 
piastre in vegetables and fruit ; thus the raw articles of 
consumption cost him daily five and a half piastres, or 
just one shilling sterling. "With sixpence additional, he 
can have fish and wine and coffee, an ample supply of 
each, enough indeed to satisfy the cravings of three 
moderate men ; so that his annual item for food, wine, 
and coffee, would amount to 547 shillings and sixpence, 
or £27 17s . 6d. Of his original income of £50 per 
annum, he would thus still have a surplus of £22 2s. 6d. 
His rent and the hire of three servants, their keep 
included, may consume £10 of this balance, and with 
the remaining £12 2s. 6d. he could buy and keep for 
the whole first year a very serviceable stud, whose 
cost would be more than recompensed by the benefit 
and pleasure of horse-exercise every day in the week. 

Having now mounted my comparatively English 
" beggar on horseback " — even if he be the most 
indolent of indolent men — he must go on thriving 
better and better. Most Englishmen, however, have 
too much good sense now-a-»tiays to suffer precious 
hours to flit lazily by. It is evident also, that our 
emigrant will be put to less expense the second year of 
his sojourn, at least to the amount of the value or cost 
of his horse, which will then only become an item of 
keep, as grass is plentiful and barley (on which our 
horses are fed) cheap. His exchequer would thus be 
increased by £10 at the end of the second year. Now, 
even in England, a sharp-witted fellow might, by un- 
remitting perseverance and indefatigable zeal, turn ten 
pounds into twenty; but in Syria, this sum is 1100 
piastres, and for 1100 piastres there is many a bit of 
ground to be purchased equal in size to the largest 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



239 



sqifare in London. This he conld lay out, if he fancied, 
part in a kitchen garden, part in a farm-yard, and part 
in a nursery for young mulberry shoots, to be trans- 
planted the ensuing year, by which time also the extent 
of ground could be doubled by the purchase of a fresh 
lot for £10 more — both planted with mulberries, the 
proprietor supplying his own table with poultry and 
vegetables, making his own wine, and pressing his own 
oil. In five years after his first settlement, he would 
have a mulberry plantation five times as extensive as 
Eaton Square, with that portion of the property first 
planted already yielding a return ; for the mulberry- 
tree, after three years, is ready to rear the worm upon, 
and the quantity reared goes on increasing as the trees 
become larger and yield a more abundant supply of 
leaves. At the end of these five years our landed 
proprietor, whose greatest horror in London was quarter- 
day, and rent and taxes, now finds himself in receipt of 
about £80 per annum instead of £50, with every pro- 
spect of a rapid augmentation, for he may have been 
adding ground to ground each successive year, and 
every successive piece of land purchased may have been 
larger than the preceding, till about the seventh year of 
his residence, when he may have made an outlay of 
about £200, and have a promising plantation, yielding 
him, conjointly with his income, somewhere about 
£120 per annum, with every prospect of this income 
rapidly increasing. The best part of the pleasant 
tableau, too, would consist in the fact that there had 
been no pinching and screwing up of one's means, no 
direful privations to meet the emergency, no sleepless 
nights, and worrying busy days, racking one's brains 
and detracting from health and happiness; but on 
the contrary, the emigrant's life will have been one 



240 



THE THTSTLE AND 



perpetual scene of pleasurable and healthful occupation 
and diversion. 

He will be an early riser, because he has had his little 
flower-garden to weed, or the planting out of his fruit- 
trees and vegetables to superintend : his farm-yard will 
then claim his attention ; the cows milking and sending 
forth to grass ; the sheep, the turkeys, the geese, ducks, 
fowls, guinea-hens, etc., all to be attended to ; termi- 
nating by a pleasant ride round his own plantation (how 
his heart throbs at the thought, his own plantation /), 
and in seeing that his people are at their various 
labours for the day. This ride gives him a keen relish 
for his breakfast ; and the forenoon is agreeably occu- 
pied in making notes of when such and such a hen 
first sat on her eggs, and when such a batch of chickens 
were hatched, etc. At noon he has lunch, and takes 
his siesta ; whilst the afternoon is devoted to study, or 
to correspondence, or, if the fancy take him, and the 
season be propitious, to a shooting party. There is no 
game-law to check his ambition, or to limit his range 
of ground: no preserves, no man-traps, no " All dogs 
found trespassing will be shot." He may climb up one 
hill and go down another ; spring a covey of partridges, 
knock over a couple or more, and then quietly re-load 
his gun for another shot. The only things that seem 
inquisitive about, or will take any interest in, such 
proceedings are, not game-keepers, but game-destroyers 
— jackalls and sparrowhawks ; the one will track the 
blood of the wounded partridge more surely even than 
the dogs, the other soars high over head, and equally 
robs the sportsman of his game unless numbered 
amongst his victims. 

In the cool of evening, the emigrant will enjoy 
his wholesome, abundant, and luxurious dinner, and * 



THE CEDAR OE EEBAXOX. 



241 



perhaps, entering into the spirit of Oriental life, take a 
fingan of coffee, and. may be, smoke a pipe of delicious 
Latachia ; and at ten, at the latest, lie takes himself to 
bed, glad, after the many occupations of the day, 
to seek that healthful and refreshing sleep, which is 
sure to be the natural result of so regular a course of 
life. 

Such is the picture of life I have drawn out for a 
man possessed at the outset of only £o0 per annum. 
Many in the receipt of even more than this sum 
annually, are now on the threshold of the poor- 
house. Surely, if such should peruse these pages, they 
cannot longer hesitate as to what to do or how to 
proceed. 

Married men who wish to luxuriate in the enjoy- 
ments of life, but whose limited means of from £.200 
to £300 per annum restrict them, should emigrate to 
Lebanon and to Syria. There they might build them- 
selves palaces, hare parks stocked with gazelles and 
deer, the choicest orchards of fruit, a stable not to be 
surpassed by potentates of Europe, summer-houses, 
and dogs, and guns, and other requisites for shooting 
and coursing parties: a summer residence near the sea- 
side, and a yacht to pleasure in whithersoever they 
might choose, or whither the whim of the moment 
might lead them. 

Nothing but an imaginary obstacle prevents the 
the realisation of all that I depict, and the alarm enter- 
tained by Englishmen residing in countries under the 
Turkish sway, with regard to the insecurity of their 
property and the absence of all redress, is wholly 
imaginary. In proof of this, I shall merely quote one 
instance, that of Mr. Goodall, an American missionary, 

M 



242 



THE THISTLE AND 



who was plundered by the soldiers during the Greek 
piratical invasion of Beyrout, to which I have be- 
fore alluded. As soon as quiet was re-established, the 
Consul applied to the Pacha for a restitution of the 
stolen property, or a tantamount value. A list was 
made out, and so punctillious was the Pacha, that even 
a fowl, that had been ready trussed for roasting, was 
included amongst the missing articles, and every 
farthing was paid down out of the Government treasuiy. 
And this is the case in most instances where a European 
is the aggrieved party; the Pacha of the district will 
be sure to see justice done him and the Treasury is 
entitled to collect the sum disbursed from the heads of the 
villages in the immediate neighbourhood where the 
theft was committed. This answers a double end ; it 
satisfies the injured party, and ensures almost to a 
certainty the capture of the felon, for all the villagers 
are on the watch to discover the rogue that has brought 
on them such a taxation. 

Finally, if Englishmen would only emigrate to Syria, 
and establish a small colony there, then the uninitiated 
natives would be enabled to form some estimate of 
their character as a nation ; and, above all, would dis- 
cover, that they, like themselves, are Church-goers, 
strictly observant of the sabbath, possessing ordained 
bishops, priests, and deacons, — acknowledging the effi- 
cacy of the Sacraments, and a people really good, 
and believers in the Gospel, in lieu of being what 
they now suppose them to be, a people that mount 
upon house-tops to pray, because the higher the 
elevation the nearer they think themselves to God. 

If consumptive patients, in the early stage of that 
most direful malady, were to resort to the milder 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON*. 



243 



climate of Syria, there is every hope that, under God's 
blessing, they would eventually recover, for, apart from 
the excellency of the climate, they are there exposed to 
no sudden changes of heat and cold, no coming out of 
stifling opera-houses into the chilling night air, no 
pernicious excitements, nor exhausting late hours. 



2U 



THE THISTLE AND 



CHAPTER XV. 

SYRIA, HER INHABITANTS, AND THEIR RELIGIONS 
CONTINUED. 

The desire to benefit my countrymen by an influx of 
European emigrants lias tempted me to wander from 
the subject of the preceding chapter; to forget the 
actual inhabitants for a moment, while painting the 
delights of a residence in Syria to those who can only 
become so in future. I must now proceed with my 
survey of the different races of people who inhabit the 
country, and I shall endeavour to make this sketch of 
then peculiarly national and religious characteristics as 
clear as possible. 

There are few countries on the face of the earth, so 
small in extent, which comprise so many different races 
and religious persuasions, as Syria. In point of fact, 
its present condition in this respect presents us with a 
remarkable illustration of the numerous schisms, which 
took place in the Greek Church during the earlier 
period of its existence, and which, it is well-known, 
were carried on with greater perseverance and bitterness 
than any similar disturbances, which have at various 
times afflicted other churches. 

So complete has been the separation of the sectarian 
bodies from the present church — so great was the 
influence of the leading ecclesiastics among them, that 
a religious difference has produced a difference of 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



245 



habits and manners, and has even given to people, 
descendants from the same stock, and living in the same 
country, the appearance of a totally different origin. 

We also number among our inhabitants a large and 
influential population, inhabiting a mountainous district, 
who believe, and their belief is not without foundation, 
that they are of Chinese origin. In reviewing our 
population, we find that it may be classed into four 
chief sections: Christians, Jews, Mahommedans, and 
Infidels. The Christians we find sub-divided into more 
than that number of sects; almost every sect con- 
stituting a different people. 

The Mahommedans are also sub -divided into two 
branches, the orthodox and the un-orthodox. The 
Jews stand alone and isolated, as they do all over the 
world, though there is one of the infidel tribes which 
is now declared to be of Jewish origin. Of each and 
all I shall speak in the proper place, believing that 
I shall best succeed in rousing the interests of my 
readers by presenting this picture of the inhabitants of 
Syria from a religious point of view. 

Of late years, as most of my gentle readers must be 
aware, the attention of the benevolent Christian public 
of Great Britain has been frequently and anxiously 
directed to the want of proper religious teaching in 
Syria. Englishmen, both poor and wealthy, have con- 
tributed from their purses to supply the deficienc}- 
through the aid of English and native missionaries; 
the latter having been educated in England expressly for 
this sacred purpose. 

The United States have not been behindhand in this 
general cause; American missionaries have co-operat- 
ed with their brethren from this country zealously, 
and with good results. How far those results have 



246 



THE THISTLE AND 



extended ; how rapidly the elementary principles of the 
purest Christianity have been spread abroad in the 
East, through the agency of these godly men, to whose 
fervent zeal and untiring energy, I can, at least, bear 
the most satisfactory, though humble testimony, has 
been better and more efficiently told in the annual 
reports, which the several missionary societies issue to 
the public, than any description which I could give. 

Though brought up in, and taught to revere, the 
faith of the Greek Church, or of " the Orthodox Eastern 
Church," as that religion is denominated in my own 
country, I am truly grateful for the deep interest which 
these societies and their supporters have taken in the 
religious welfare of my nation ; but it would not be 
becoming in me to attempt to add anything to their 
reports. 

It will be sufficient for me to assure my fair readers, 
that the pious gentlemen employed by the parent 
societies, have traversed Syria in all directions, piercing 
even into the very heart of its most mountainous 
districts, sowing broad-cast the seeds of a pure and 
immaculate faith ; that they have found patient 
listeners in all, and zealous converts in many of our 
towns and villages. The number of their converts con- 
tinues to increase ; they have planted the true faith, 
" The Cedar of Lebanon," in defiance of the machina- 
tions and intrigues of the "wild beast of Rome;" they 
have rooted up numerous plants of the " Thistle," 
which had flourished in the land from time immemorial, 
and they have prepared the ground, nay, they have 
already laid the foundation on which to raise an im- 
perishable temple in honor of the only true Mediator, 
our Saviour, Christ. 

They have my most fervent wishes for their complete 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



247 



success, and, trusting to the aid of the Most High, I 
confidently look forward to that day, when the off- 
shoots of the stately Cedar of Lebanon shall have 
covered the entire land, casting a holy shade over its 
inhabitants, when the Thistle shall have disappeared 
before the more useful tree, and when the "wild 
beast" shall have been banished to his own den. 

I desire, above all things, to remove an erroneous 
impression which I find prevailing very generally in 
this country as to the character of the Greek, or 
Orthodox Eastern Church, to which, by far the greater 
portion of the Christian inhabitants belong. I have 
myself styled this Church the " Thistle of Lebanon,'' 
when comparing it with the healthier and purer doctrines 
of the Reformed Church, which I have ventured to call 
the Cedar of my beloved Lebanon \ but, nevertheless, 
it would be most ungenerous, nay unfair, to permit my 
readers to retain the impression that the Greek, or 
the Orthodox Eastern Church, is an off-shoot of the 
Church of Rome, or in any way connected with it. 

Nearly three hundred thousand of my countrymen 
worship God according to its doctrines, and all of them, 
excepting, perhaps, the most ignorant, would feel 
indignant at the supposition that they were followers of 
the "wild beast." 

I will not fatigue my readers with a learned dis- 
quisition on the forms of worship, or on points of 
doctrine, for I shall effect my purpose much easier by 
a simple statement of the cardinal differences between 
the two churches, and I have no doubt they will at 
once be convinced, that there is a greater degree of 
relationship between the English, or any other Re- 
formed Church, and the Orthodox Eastern Church, 
than there exists between it and the Church of Rome. 



248 



THE THISTLE AND 



Learned historians, and some of the most intelligent 
and inquiring of Eastern travellers, have dwelt with 
mnch force on the early history of the Orthodox 
Eastern Church, and there is no doubt in my own 
mind, that they have clearly established the fact of 
its being, not merely, not an off- shoot from the Church 
of Rome, nor in any way intimately connected with it ; 
but, on the contrary, that since its establishment it has 
always been a Protestant Church, and that it is there- 
fore more ancient in its Protestant character than either 
of the Reformed Churches. 

Unfortunately, for the character of the Orthodox 
Eastern Church, the knowledge and experience of 
these intelligent men has been confined to a very 
small circle of readers, and the greater part of the 
British public has attached infinitely more credit to the 
imperfect and superficial sketches of travellers, who 
resorting to our dbuntry for a season, and after 
" doing" Syria in a month, beguile the tedium of their 
journey home by writing an account of their seeings 
and doings, concocting it in as rapid and careless a 
manner as their examination into the condition of the 
country was hasty and thoughtless. 

It is upon the authority of such trustworthy writers, 
that I find the impression prevailing, that the creed, 
the doctrines, and forms of worship of the Orthodox 
Eastern Church are precisely similar to those of the 
Church of Rome. When resident in Syria, I have, on 
more than one occasion, attended Church with English 
travellers, who, struck by the presence of pictures, which 
decorate the walls of all our churches, and by the 
similarity of the robes of the officiating priests to those 
worn by the .priests of the Romish Church, conceived 
that they were in a Roman Catholic Church. It needed 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



249 



some explanation to remove this impression. Most of 
the writers to whom I allude — I will not mention their 
names — having received the same impression, they have 
at once jumped to the conclusion in which they invite 
their readers to concur, that the Orthodox Eastern 
Church is only a branch of the abhorred Church of 
Rome. 

There is, as I have shewn, some excuse for the 
first impression, but nothing could be more erroneous 
or unjust, than the conclusion to which they have 
arrived. I cannot deny, that the robes of our priests 
differ in any material point from those worn by the 
priests of Koine, any more than I can deny that 
there are pictures in our churches; but I do most 
unhesitatingly deny — what has been stated by more 
than one writer — that there are images to be found in 
our churches, or that images are worshipped by the 
adherents of the Orthodox Eastern Church. The 
offending pictures are not prescribed by the Church. 

The Orthodox Eastern Church does not include 
among its doctrines the worship of saints; in fact, 
the pictures are merely portraits of holy men, who 
have led blameless lives, and whose virtues the 
spectator is invited to imitate by witnessing the 
honor done to them after death. 

It would be unjust and injudicious in me to attempt 
to conceal from my readers the fact, that the pious 
and penitent followers of the Orthodox Eastern Church 
are in the habit of supplicating the prayers of these 
godly men, who are believed to have passed into the 
better world, but I have never yet understood that 
then mediation with the Divinity was prayed for. The 
only Mediator acknowledged by the Orthodox Eastern 
Church, is our Lord Jesus Christ ; in proof of which I 

M 5 



250 



THE THISTLE AND 



may be permitted to quote the following passage from 
its doctrines : " The sufferings and death of Christ are 
an abundant satisfaction for the sins of the whole 
world." 

Begging pardon for having dwelt so long on the only 
points of evidence which have been brought forward,, to 
establish the relationship between the Orthodox Eastern 
and the Roman Catholic Churches, and which, I think 
I have shown to be totally unreliable, I may, perhaps, 
be permitted to establish my case still more clearly, by 
pointing out other and more serious points on which the 
two Churches are at variance. 

In the first place, the Orthodox Eastern Church 
denies the power of any council to alter or to add 
to the articles of faith. It protested at the time 
against the famous council of Trent, since which 
period the authority of councils has formed an im- 
portant article in the laws of the Romish Church. 
The Orthodox Eastern Church acknowledges no other 
guide and source of doctrine or faith than the Holy 
Scriptures, as contained in the Old and New Testaments, 
which are open to all — not proscribed, as is the case in 
the Romish Church — and are printed in all the lan- 
guages of the various countries in which the Greek 
Church has adherents. 

It expressly protests against the Romish doctrine 
of the infallibility of the Pope, and it recognizes our 
Lord, the Saviour, as the head of the Church. Surely, 
these are points of the greatest moment, such indeed 
as ought not to have been overlooked by impartial 
and truthful writers, when dwelling on the character 
and doctrines of a vast religious body ; but there are 
other points of an equally important nature. 

According to the doctrines of the Orthodox Eastern 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



251 



Church, the Holy Spirit proceedeth from the Father 
alone, and not from the Father and the Son as is 
asserted by the Romish Church, and by the dis- 
senters from the Orthodox Eastern Church, whose 
origin and history will be stated in another part of 
this chapter. The Orthodox Eastern Church accepts the 
death of the Saviour as an abundant satisfaction for 
the sins of the world ; it holds the doctrine of justifi- 
cation by faith ; it denounces the belief in transubstan- 
tiation, and in purgatory; and it departs in another 
most important point from the practice of the Church 
of Rome, by authorising its ministers to marry. 

It is not my purpose to fatigue my readers by estab- 
lishing a relationship between the Orthodox Eastern 
Church and that of the United Kingdom, or of any other 
country, I am satisfied with having shewn the little 
value to be attached to the statements of hasty, 
ignorant travellers, and with having, I hope, fully 
established a thorough dissimilarity on the most 
important points of religious belief between the doc- 
trines and practice of the Orthodox Eastern Church 
and those of the Church of Rome. 

I should have had much more difficulty in doing 
justice to the claims of the Orthodox Eastern Church 
in the eyes of the Protestant public, had the writers 
who have sought to establish its affinity to the Church 
of Rome, availed themselves of other points of weak- 
ness, which my pen can neither defend nor conceal. 

First and foremost, to my mind, stands that foolish 
proceeding, which the priesthood of the Orthodox 
Eastern Church annually practise on the ignorant and 
credulous of their disciples ; when, on Easter Sunday, 
following the example of the miracle-manufacturers of 
the Romish Church, they pretend to draw fire down 



252 



THE THISTLE AND 



from heaven; the agency employed on the occasion 
being either a Inciter match or a phosphorus bottle. 
Other weak points in the Orthodox Eastern Church 
are the practice of burning incense during divine 
service, and of requiring a particular, not a general, 
confession from the faithful before taking the Lord's 
Supper. 

When I returned to Constantinople, after my first 
visit to England, I obtained several interviews with 
the head patriarch and with some of the bishops 
of the Orthodox Eastern Church, of which I am an 
humble though not a blind adherent. Finding them 
willing to listen to the remarks of one so much younger 
and more ignorant than themselves, whose only advan- 
tage arose from the experience gained by travelling in 
foreign countries, I strenuously endeavoured to shew to 
them how erroneous and ill-judged was their practising 
of miracles, the burning of incense, and other proceed- 
ings by which the senses are tricked, how well calculated 
they were to disgust the better educated and more intel- 
ligent of their followers, and eventually to drive them 
from the bosom of the Church. 

The patriarch and the bishops did not seek to dis- 
comfit me by learned arguments or flimsy excuses. 
Like intelligent men, they acknowledged the practices 
complained of to be unnecessary if not improper ; but 
they assured me that however sincere their desire to 
establish a thorough reform, their efforts for the present 
were necessarily restricted; a choice between two evils 
being the only course which was open to them. 

I was compelled to agree with them that the practice 
of drawing down fire from heaven on Easter Sunday, as 
well as that of burning incense in the churches during 
divine service, had both been established for so many 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



253 



years, and that the former especially had taken so deep 
a hold over the imagination of my unlettered brethren, 
that any attempt to abolish or gradually to abandon 
either would at once be regarded as irreligious and 
revolutionary. Rather than incur so great a risk, they 
were content to continue what they considered the 
lesser evil ; and in the meantime to promote as far as 
in them lay, the work of education, by means of which 
alone progress in this direction is possible. To such 
an answer, of course, I had no reply ; and I have en- 
deavoured to aid the good cause of education wherever 
and whenever it has been in my power. 

Such as it is, with all its errors, its imperfections, and 
its weaknesses, the Orthodox Eastern Church, the 
" Thistle of Lebanon/' most certainly claims precedence 
in point of antiquity over every other Christian church, 
and to my mind it as clearly deserves the sympathy of all 
Christians, especially of all who maintain the Protestant 
faith. For without other support than the rock of faith 
in our Lord Jesus Christ, without assistance from 
abroad, and in slavery at home, the Orthodox Eastern 
Church has withstood the shock of Mahommedan 
invasion, and has maintained its position in Syria during 
a bondage of more than twelve hundred years. Nearly 
all those who now profess its faith must be the lineal 
descendants of families who acknowledged its authority 
and professed its doctrines at the time of the Hegira ; 
for one of the first laws of our Mahommedan conquerors 
reimposed the punishment of death on all Christians 
who should seek to gain, and on all who should become, 
converts to their faith. It is only of late years that 
this law has been allowed to fall into disuse ; but it is 
still most powerful, as the following interesting anecdote 
will prove. 



254 



THE THISTLE AND 



Not many days ago I received a letter from a friend 
in Syria, in which amongst other things he informs me 
of the wonderful fact that the son of a Mufti, whose 
name and residence I dare not mention, had just been 
converted from Mahommedanism to the doctrines of 
the Orthodox Church, notwithstanding this law, and 
that he had been received into the bosom of the Church 
at Syra, in Greece, in order to prevent the fact from 
becoming known either to the Turkish authorities or to 
the fanatic population. 

The gentleman, who has jnst given us so striking an 
illustration of the power of truth, is a scholar of some 
repute, a man of more than average intellectual powers, 
and naturally of an enquiring turn of mind. Dis- 
satisfied with the faith of his fathers, he quietly made 
himself acquainted with the doctrines of the leading 
Christian churches in the East, and after a searching 
investigation into their relative merits, after lengthened 
arguments with several priests of both churches, and 
after a close study of the Holy Scriptures, he finally 
resolved upon renouncing his allegiance to the Prophet, 
Mahommed, and upon joining a church which accepts 
the mediation of the Saviour. 

His mind once made up, he immediately announced 
his desire to be received into the bosom of the Or- 
thodox Eastern Church to the priest in his own 
neighbourhood, who, however, declined to receive so 
distinguished a convert, from fear of incurring the anger 
of the Mahommedans, and perhaps of bringing the 
obnoxious law into fresh operation. Nothing daunted 
by this refusal, the conviction of the necessity of his recep- 
tion into a Christian Church having taken so deep a root 
in his mind, he at once endeavoured to succeed in other 
places. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



255 



With this object in view, he wandered from town 
to town, traversing nearly all Syria in search of a 
priest, who would dare to hear his recantation of 
Mohammedanism, and who would dare to hear his 
profession of faith in our Lord ; but all was in vain. 
Wherever he went he was met by a refusal, on the same 
grounds as had been assigned by the priest to whom he 
had at first applied. Eventually he was under the 
necessity of leaving his wife, his family, and his property 
to the care of Providence, while he proceeded to Syra, in 
Greece, where he happily encountered no further obstacle 
to the attainment of his heart's desire. 

I am happy to say that there is a prospect of this 
pious and deserving person obtaining a valuable engage- 
ment. Having found an opportunity, I communicated 
the case to that noble philanthropist, the Earl of 
Shaftesbury, the President of the Protestant College at 
Malta, who has taken a deep interest in it, and who 
has promised me that he will try and make an opening 
for him in that excellent institution. 

This simple fact strikingly illustrates the power 
which the followers of Mahommed still exercise over 
the timid priesthood of the Christian Churches in Syria, 
and the awe with which the latter regard the laws of 
the land in which they live, though in this instance, at 
least, centuries have elapsed since this particular law 
was enforced. 

How great, therefore, the claims of the Orthodox 
Eastern Church upon, and how close its affinity 
to, the Protestant Churches of Western Europe ! Op- 
pressed by its rulers, neglected by its brethren in the 
faith, suffering under the general impoverishment of the 
country, maligned by many who upon a closer investi- 
gation would have declared themselves its warmest 



256 



THE THISTLE AND 



friends, the Orthodox Eastern Church, the " Thistle of 
Lebanon/' still stands forth a monument of the enduring 
force of truth and faich. It is not easy to make an 
accurate computation of the numbers of its adherents, 
since, like those of every other Church in the East, they 
are not concentrated in any one district, but are scattered 
over the whole of Syria, living chiefly, however, in the 
plains. Next to the Mahommedans, they are the most 
numerous, and I should say, including the Holy Land, 
that in round numbers they may safely be assessed at 
more than three hundred thousand. 

At the head of the orthodox Eastern Church are four 
patriarchs ; one at Constantinople, one at Jerusalem, 
one at Cairo, and one at Damascus. The latter are in 
some degree subordinate to the first ; but their relations 
are ill defined, the power of the chief patriarch being in 
a great measure nominal. Whenever a bishop is ap~ 
pointed by one of the patriarchs in Syria or Egypt, the 
intervention of the patriarch in Constantinople is ap- 
pealed to, to procure the sanction of the Turkish 
government. This sanction, I may mention, has never 
been withheld by the successive sultans — a degree of 
toleration hardly to have been expected from the 
fanatical followers of Mahommed. 

The patriarch in Damascus is called Patriarch of 
Antioch, the patriarchal see having remained in Antioch 
until that city was destroyed by earthquakes and revo- 
lutions. Each patriarch can, within his own province, 
suspend members of the priesthood, though they should 
have attained the dignity of bishop ; but cases of this 
kind occur very rarely indeed. Considering the number 
of its adherents, the Orthodox Eastern Church cannot 
be said to be wealthy. It is true that it has great 
landed possessions; but they are most inefficiently 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



257 



managed, so that its chief sources of revenue are the 
collections made in the church during the service, and 
the fees paid for marriage and burial services, and 
for reading prayers with the sick. These, however, are 
all voluntary payments. 

In common with all other ministers of religion within 
the Turkish dominions, the priests of the orthodox 
Eastern Church are highly favoured by the law. They 
pay no taxes whatever ; they cannot suffer imprisonment 
or any other punishment at the option of the Turkish, 
officials, who are hardly less ignorant than they are 
extortionate, and whose power over the other inhabitants 
is enormous. The only remedy against an offending 
priest is to report him to the patriarch of the province, 
who, either by himself or with the advice of the head 
patriarch in Constantinople, ordains such a punishment 
as the case may deserve. 

As a rule, the ministers of the Orthodox Eastern 
Church are extremely ignorant and very poor. The 
salaries of the patriarchs rarely exceed £500, and 
many of the ministers are not in receipt of more 
than <£20 or £25 a year. The greater number of these 
have received no education; their sole qualification for 
their office being, in most cases, the good opinion of 
their neighbours and some knowledge of reading or 
writing. 

As the eloquent author of "The Crescent and the 
Cross " truly says, they are frequently chosen by the 
laity of their district from among the lowest mechanics, 
and the election is invariably confirmed by the patriarch 
if there be nothing against the character of the elect. 

Colleges or educational establishments for the priest- 
hood the orthodox Eastern Church can hardly be said 
to possess. It would be ridiculous to give that name to 



258 



THE THISTLE AND 



the convent in Jerusalem, in which the young student 
is initiated into the foolish practices I have already 
spoken of as being annually practised at Easter, and 
in which he acquires a fair portion of the spirit of 
hatred and envy with which the various religious 
denominations within the walls of the Holy City regard 
one another. 

Much has already been accomplished by the en- 
lightened men who have taken up the cause of the 
apostles, and who are labouring hard to dispel the dark 
cloud of ignorance which hangs over the minds of my 
countrymen like a heavy cloud. With the knowledge 
and the elements of the true faith which they are 
zealously disseminating, I do not despair not merely of 
a thorough reform of the Orthodox Eastern Church, but 
of a thorough change in the mutual relations of the 
several religious bodies. Where there was hatred there 
shall be love, and the spirit of envy shall be trans- 
formed into the spirit of emulation. 

The service of the Orthodox Eastern Church is always 
performed in the native language, and consists of prayers, 
scripture-readings, a sermon, which is, however, gene- 
rally only a simple explanation or commentary on 
chapters from the Bible, and in singing hymns. The 
priests, as I have previously mentioned, wear robes 
differing but very little from those worn by the priest- 
hood of the Church of Rome. It is customary to sepa- 
rate the sexes during the service ; the galleries being 
devoted exclusively to the reception of the females, and 
the body of the Church to the males. Only the old 
men are allowed seats, of which there are very few, and 
the young men are forced to stand. 

At the commencement of the service, the officiating 
priest traverses the church, scattering incense from a 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



259 



burner. During Lent, strict observers of the law abstain 
from all animal food, even from eggs, milk, butter, and 
cheese, and they further fast from night till noon. At 
this period they also abstain from the use of all spirituous 
or vinous fluids. At all seasons of the year it is customary 
to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. The sacrament is 
usually administered twice a month. It consists of 
unleavened bread and wine mixed together, and is 
administered by the officiating clergyman with a spoon, 
the formula used on this solemn occasion being nearly 
the same as that employed in the English Church. 

I have mentioned the existence of dissenters from the 
Orthodox Eastern Church in Syria. They are called 
Greek Roman Catholics, and have existed rather more 
than one hundred and fifty years. The founder of this 
sect was a priest named Karolus, who had been elected 
patriarch of Antioch, or, as the functionary is called, 
patriarch of Damascus. 

The election was, however, not ratified by the head 
patriarch of Constantinople on account of the doctrines 
held by the new patriarch on the subject of the Holy 
Spirit. Karolus maintained, in contradiction to the 
established doctrine of the Orthodox Eastern Church 
that the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father alone, 
that it proceeded from the Father and the Son, as 
is asserted by the Roman Catholic Church. On a 
closer inquiry into the religious tenets of the elect of 
Damascus, it was discovered that his opinions were 
heretical also on other points, for he was found to 
entertain a very favourable bias towards the doctrine 
of purgatory and the doctrine of supererogation. In 
consequence, the patriarch of Constantinople dispatched 
to Damascus a more trustworthy follower to fill the 
vacant post. 



260 



THE THISTLE AND 



While the dispute was still pending, Karolus had 
been indefatigably working to increase the numbers of 
his own adherents ; and the see of Rome, but too glad 
to have so eligible an opportunity of adding to its 
influence in a quarter where all its former efforts had 
been in vain, immediately dispatched some of its cleverest 
emissaries to Karolus for the purpose of inducing him 
not to give way in the dispute, and promising him the 
support of the Pope. 

These emissaries were but too successful. What their 
arguments could not effect, they obtained by money and 
promises. Amongst other things, they held out hopes 
to Karolus of preferment in the Romish Church, and 
finally their influence prevailed over the advice, the 
entreaties, and the solemn admonition of the chief 
patriarch of Constantinople. Karolus entered the 
Church of Rome, humbly and submissively acknow- 
ledging the authority of the Pope, by whom he was 
created bishop of Antioch. Since then all the well- 
known energies of the Romish propaganda, all the 
wealth, the influence, the tactics of that unscrupulous 
power have been used with great effect to increase 
the number of dissenters from the Orthodox Eastern 
Church. 

In this case, there may be found additional evidence 
of the unscrupulousness of the chief agents of the autho- 
rities at Rome. Though it is the law of that Church, 
and one that is most strictly enforced, that Roman 
Catholic priests shall live in perpetual celibacy, the 
Greek Roman Catholic priests, as the dissenters from 
the Orthodox Eastern Church are called, are permitted 
to marry, and they are further allowed to retain tbe 
service of the Church from which they have deserted. 
Perhaps these anomalies have been purposely continued 



THE CEDAR OE LEBANON. 



261 



in order to facilitate the perversion of the faithful ad- 
herents of the Orthodox Eastern Church by inducing 
the belief, that the two Churches are identical. 

Like the parent Church, the Greek Roman Catholic 
Church is scattered throughout Syria, but its adherents 
reside chiefly in the plains ; their numbers may be com- 
puted at about sixty thousand. It was most successful 
in making proselytes while Syria was under the Egyptian 
rule ; at which period the government seemed to make 
it a point to place in positions of trust and emolument 
chiefly such persons as acknowledged the authority of 
the Pope of Home. 

It must not be supposed that this preference was the 
result of a peculiar partiality on the part of the pachas for 
the Roman Catholic Religion; for it has been tolerably 
well ascertained, that this favourable bias was the result 
of the direct mediation of the Sacred College at Rome, 
whose members, it may be imagined, rendered some 
equivalent service to the Egyptian government. 

It is not many years since Bakary Bey, a member of 
the divan in Damascus, procured from Maximius, the 
patriarch of the Greek Roman Catholics, permission 
to erect a Church in that city; and with that 
permission the still higher authority of Mehemet Ali, 
who ordered the church to be built without giving 
the petitioners the trouble of first obtaining a firman. 
This church is now one of the finest in Damascus, and 
is yet another of the records existing in Syria of the 
unscrupulousness exhibited by the (c wild beast " of 
Rome in the selection of its agents. 

In 1840, there arose a great dispute between the 
heterodox patriarch Maximius and the orthodox pa- 
triarch of Antioch, on the dress worn by the priests in 
the Greek Roman Catholic Church. The latter com- 



282 



THE THISTLE AND 



plained that the priests under the tutelage of his 
Romish opponent did not conform to the exact rules 
of dress prescribed by the head of their own Church, 
but continued to wear garments similar to those worn 
by his own priests. This the orthodox patriarch 
considered to be highly offensive, and even dangerous, 
since the ignorant and credulous public were but too 
likely to be enticed by the similarity of dress, into 
the belief, that the doctrines of the two Churches 
were identical. 

The matter was referred to Constantinople; was 
discussed by the contending parties before the head 
patriarch of the Orthodox Eastern Church, and finally 
submitted to the decision of the Turkish authorities. 
After both parties had wasted much time, great patience, 
and no inconsiderable sums of money, the authorities 
either found the gold of the Orthodox Eastern Church 
to be both brighter and heavier, or else the influence of 
the Czar was too powerful for them, for they at last 
decided that Maximius and his priests should wear a 
looped-up hat to distinguish them from the priests of 
the Orthodox Church. 

It is not only in trifles, however, that the Turkish 
authorities are called upon to decide between these two 
Churches — the Mahommedan laymen to arbitrate 
between Christian ministers; unhappily their inter- 
ference is called for in matters of far higher importance. 

As I have shewn in another chapter, the mutual 
jealousies, of the Christian sects, their envy and 
hatred, have reached such a pitch, that, on the most 
sacred festival in the Christian year, when devout 
Christian pilgrims from all parts of the earth, who have 
wandered to Jerusalem for the purpose, are in the 
holiest of all localities within the Holy City, Turkish 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



263 



soldiers are required to keep the peace between them. At 
the very tomb of cur Saviour, Christianity is disgraced by 
th e quarrels of its believers, and Mahommedans are called 
in to prevent them from shedding the blood or taking 
the lives of one another. 

Political animosity has perhaps more to do with this 
melancholy exhibition than simple religious discord. 
Hasty and ill-judged have been the measures of 
protection which the great powers of Europe, at dif- 
ferent times, and from motives dwelt upon elsewhere, 
have accorded to one or the other of the religious 
bodies in the East. Great Britain, Erance, Russia, 
and Austria, have all, without due cause, interfered 
to protect, as they say, their proteges from undue 
oppression, but the result of their protection has not 
only brought them into unpleasant and dangerous 
contact with each other, excited and nourished envy and 
hatred among the protected, but has still further shaken 
the foundations of " our ancient ally," as the Porte is 
called in England, whose existence is said to be so 
intimately bound up with the maintenance of that un- 
intelligible paradox, " the balance of power in Europe." 

At the moment of writing these hues, the diplomatic 
representatives of the great powers resident in Constan- 
tinople, the ministries of the great powers themselves, 
are in the agonies of negotiation, as their peculiar 
proceedings are diplomatically termed, and the noble 
representative of Great Britain has been hastily ordered 
to return to the seat of his mission, in order that the 
British influence may not suffer from a partial or one- 
sided decision of the case. 



264 



THE THISTLE AND 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Among the Christian inhabitants of Syria, the Maro- 
nites, in point of numbers, if not in the simplicity of 
their faith, certainly take rank next to the devout 
followers of the Orthodox Eastern Church, and the 
brief review I propose to take of their history and posi- 
tion will, I think, sufficiently establish for them a claim 
to be placed among the most interesting Christian 
races or nations which can be found in any part of the 
globe. 

To the present hour they continue to inhabit the 
mountains of Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, in which 
twelve centuries since they sought and found refuge 
from the violent measures to which the general Council 
of Constantinople had recourse, in order to punish them 
for their adherence to the Monothelite heresy. Driven 
from their homes in the plains and cities of the land, 
they established themselves in perfect security in the 
mountain fastnesses, which have enabled them on more 
than one occasion to set the power of the Egyptian and 
Turkish Governments at defiance, and to afford to others, 
no matter what their faith or origin, an impenetrable 
asylum against the persecutions of their enemies. Euro- 
peans or Easterns, Christians or infidels, flying before 
the persecutions of political or religious bigots are still 
received with open arms and untiring hospitality by 
the Maronites, whose forefathers always practised 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



265 



the virtues learned in adversity— virtues which they 
have most successfully inculcated on the minds of their 
descendants. 

No greater proof can he brought forward of the 
excellence of their principles, their courage and integrity 
of heart, since even from that early period they made 
Lebanon what Hebron and other ancient cities were 
among the children of Israel. The extraordinary 
liberality and hospitality displayed by the original 
inhabitants can alone account for the striking amalga- 
mation of Christian and Pagan races, and for their 
having inhabited the mountains, for so long a period, in 
perfect amity and good-will towards each other, except 
when bad feelings have been excited by the intrigues 
or intermeddling of the foreign powers, whose interfer- 
ence has at all times been ruinous to the country. 

So complete has been the political union of the inhabit- 
ants of the Lebanon, notwithstanding all the differences 
between them, that for centuries they submitted to be 
governed by one head. So great is the reliance to be 
placed upon those brave mountaineers, and so high is 
the general estimation of their character, that when, in 
the year 1821, the genius of British diplomacy and a 
royal administration of the navy, had cleverly con- 
trived the famous battle of Navarino, and the European 
consuls and residents in Syria were obliged to fly from 
the wrath of the Mahommedans, who set no bounds to 
their hatred of the Franks, they unanimously selected the 
home of the Maronites as their best and safest asylum. 
There they remained for nearly a year and a half, pro- 
tected and respected by their hospitable hosts, and safe 
from the vindictive longings of the Turks, who dared 
not venture beyond the lowlands in pursuit of their prey. 

This was perhaps the first occasion in which educated 

N 



266 



THE THISTLE AXD 



Europeans obtained a closer inspection of the customs, 
manners, and religion of the Maronites ; and it is to be 
regretted that none of them have given their experience 
to the world in a popular shape. Many of them still 
dwell with pleasure upon this remarkable era in their 
lives, and many are the tales which they tell at their 
own firesides, of the dangers they encountered on then 
road, and the life they led in the mountains. Indeed, 
I have heard several of the gentlemen who were among 
those who sought an asylum in Lebanon, declare, that 
with the exception of the unpleasantness of being in a 
measure cut off from all communication with Europe, 
they seldom remembered to have passed a pleasanter 
eighteen months, invigorated by a dehghtful and 
pleasantly cool climate, in a country abounding with 
shooting of all kinds j while for those who loved the study 
of botany there was an inexhaustible fund of amusement 
and occupation. Even here, and at a time too when 
they were apparently menaced by surrounding dangers, 
the youngsters amongst the Europeans could not forget 
their predominant attachment to fun and mischief ; and 
an anecdote has been frequently told of a poor old 
Maronite priest who prided himself extremely on the 
excellence of the fruits produced by the garden attached 
to the monastery which he inhabited, and which I believe 
were really of a very superior quality, and who had for 
many months reckoned on the autumn of 1 821, as likely to 
prove the most prolific season he had yet known ; when 
lo ! he was surrounded by a horde of gnats and bees in 
the shape of wild young Europeans, who, despite the 
height of his walls, and the depth of his ditches, and 
the distance they had to come every night, succeeded 
night after night in rifling the orchard and carrying off 
just those fruits that were upon the very turn, and which 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



267 



promised to be the first fruit of the season. It is need- 
less to say that the old priest was sadly perplexed and 
annoyed ; the last persons in the world to be suspected 
were these very identical young men ; first, because 
they lived so far off — second! y, because, in the presence 
of the old priest, they deported themselves with so much 
decorum, and attended so regularly to the Sunday 
service, that the old priest would as fain believe himself 
guilty of a felony as harbour any suspicions against the 
real offenders. He began to fear sadly that he must 
needs have some black sheep amongst his own flock ; and 
as the depredations continued nightly, despite watching 
and all other precautions, he lost all patience, and after 
service one Sunday pronounced an anathema against 
those parties who had persisted in stealing his fruit if they 
did not immediately desist from their wicked practices. 
All was vain ! Weeks rolled on, still the fruits were 
missing, and still anathemas were thundered on a Sunday 
from the pulpit, till the old priest in a fit of despair 
caused all the unripe fruit to be plucked at once, deter- 
mined, as he expressed himself, at least to benefit by a 
few preserves and jellies, since he was not permitted to 
taste any of his ripe fruit, and so the affair ended for 
the time being. Some years after, however, when many 
successive rich harvests of delicious fruits had completely 
obliterated the misfortunes of that particular year from 
the old priest's memory, he chanced to be riding through 
the very identical village to which his fruit had been 
regularly conveyed of a night, and was astonished to 
find growing in the wildest profusion specimens of the 
apricot, peach, and nectarine, of which he had heretofore 
prided himself that he himself was the sole possessor. 
Enquiry was set on foot, and the Druse at whose house 
the young men had been lodging stated, that some years 



268 



THE THISTLE AND 



since,, when some young Franks were occupying his 
house, they used to receive large baskets of fruit, which 
they had told him were sent to them as presents from 
a convent, and that the kernels and seeds of these fruits 
had been preserved and planted, and, with very little 
attention or care, had succeeded to admiration. Thus, 
out of evil resulted good, for if it had not been for these 
young thieves, the mountaineers might have been 
debarred from obtaining many excellent fruits, which 
are now growing wild upon the mountains. 

The Maronites derive their name from Maroun, a 
holy recluse, whose good actions and moral teachings 
were like so many dew-drops upon the wilderness of sin 
and wickedness in which some of the inhabitants of the 
East were wandering, about the beginning of the fifth 
century. They were subsequently associated with the 
Romish Church by one J ohn, the Maronite, who joined 
the Latin insurgents against the authority of the 
Greek Emperor. They remained subordinate to the 
Church of Rome during the next six hundred years, 
though they continued to maintain their own patriarchs. 
This attachment and subjection to Rome was, however, 
considerably diminished by the events which followed 
the crusades, and they for a short time maintained an 
independent position. Rome, however, never lost sight 
of its former subjects, and perpetually strove to win 
them back to the fold of which the Pope is the shep- 
herd; and after forty years of negotiation and intrigue, 
Pope Eugenius succeeded in procuring from the Maro- 
nites a solemn renewal of their recognition of the 
Papal authority. From that date they have adhered to 
the Romish Church, enjoying privileges which the 
temporising unscrupulous conclave in Rome conferred 
and maintained, though contrary to the laws of their 



THE CEDA.R OF LEBANON. 



269 



Church, in order not to lose so large a body of sup- 
porters. What these privileges are, will be seen in the 
following account of the people and their religious 
practices. 

The connection which exists between the Maronites 
and the Church of Rome is, in point of fact, maintained 
almost entirely by the priests, who, of course, have very 
good motives for their conduct. Were it not for the 
almost slavish subjection of the people to the priestly 
authority, this connection with the Church of Rome 
would long since have been violently shaken, if not 
entirely severed, for the second time. 

I have said that they inhabit the mountains of 
Lebanon, but I ought to be more precise, and to state, 
that they are chiefly to be found in those parts of the 
mountains which are in a north-easterly direction from 
Beyrout. They are a most industrious, contented, 
happy people, whose chief occupations are confined to 
weaving silk, and to tilling their ground — which, in 
some parts, the rocks and the soil render exceedingly 
difficult — for cultivating their mulberry trees for silk 
worms, which they do with great zeal and good 
effect. 

So thoroughly has nature fortified the district they 
inhabit, and so manly and courageous are they, that 
until the year 1843 they had never been conquered by 
the Mahommedans ; and though they had politically 
agreed to the payment of an annual tribute to the Porte, 
they were at that period without a garrison. They have 
experienced great vicissitudes at different periods, but 
throughout their whole history, I find that each crisis 
only served to add to the power and influence of the 
priesthood, who, in all things, social as well as political, 
have an incredible hold over the people. They are the 



270 



THE THISTLE AND 



legislators and the administrators. As they cunningly 
work together with the Sheikhs, nothing but a 
thorough change in the system of education will enable 
the people to shake off their fetters. 

Their creed and ritual partake both of the Greek 
and Latin churches ; but, though they reverently adore 
the Virgin, they allow no images of any kind in their 
churches. What is still more remarkable, is the 
fact, that their communion admits the administra- 
tion of both wine and bread, differing from the Roman 
Catholic Church in which only wafer is administered, 
and from the Protestant Church in which the bread 
and wine are given separately, by the bread and 
wine being mixed together, and administered to com- 
municants in a spoon. Any priest before ordination 
is allowed to marry, but the patriarchs and bishops 
must live in the strictest celibacy. So great is the 
deference paid by the laity to the priesthood, that when- 
ever one of them meets a priest he is sure at least to 
kiss the priest's hand, and ask his blessing; while some 
of the more pious or perhaps more servile of the women 
kneel before the priestly robe as if it were as holy and 
as sacred as the altar at which its wearer officiates. 
As a rule, however, the people dislike being called 
Roman Catholics ; indeed many of them openly profess 
to hate the See of Rome, and, were it not for the very 
Romish tendencies of the protection and education they 
obtain at their schools, which in other respects are really 
excellent, the Maronites would certainly, in a very short 
period, disconnect themselves from all association with 
the See of Rome. 

An attempt was made not very long ago by an 
American missionary to introduce a purer Christianity 
among them ; but the unfavourable results of his brief 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



271 



residence at Dayr-al-Kamar may be solely attributed to 
a want of caution, in too abruptly opposing the doctrines 
of the established faith before educating the people. 

A legate from the pope is perpetually resident on the 
Lebanon, where the chief monastery of the Maronite 
priesthood is situated. At various periods, too, there 
have been missions sent out from Rome in order to 
prevent any slackening or lessening of the papal influ- 
ence. At this moment there is a Lazarite mission in 
Syria, the members of which have succeeded in per- 
suading several fathers of families to part with their 
children for the purpose of having them educated in 
Rome. They have also constructed a hospital, and 
established schools for male and female children at 
Beyrout. The convents are among the few religious 
institutions within the dominions of his Imperial Ma- 
jesty the Sultan, which are allowed to use the pleasant- 
sounding church-bells ; and the Lebanon* is among the 
few localities in the East where the European traveller 
can experience the pleasant feelings and genial asso- 
ciations of his country, which are excited by the solemn 
sound of the Sabbath-bell, feelings that were unintel- 
ligible to me until I had spent more than one Sabbath 
in Europe. This privilege is a terrible ear-sore to the 
Mahommedans, who detest the Maronites more than 
any other Christian sect ; partly because they know the 
Maronites entertain the belief that they are destined 
to put a period to Islamism, by enticing French in- 
terests into the East. 

I may observe, here, that in point of fact the Maro- 

* Latterly, the J esuits at Beyrout, as, indeed, at all the prin- 
cipal towns in Turkey, and even in Cyprus, have succeeded in 
introducing the use of bells, even in some instances, for schools, 
factories, and private families. 



272 



THE THISTLE AND 



nite faith has no firm basement; for heretofore they 
seem to have been a people such as is described by 
St. James, chap. i. ver. 6, — " He that wavereth is like a 
wave of the sea driven of the wind and tossed." And 
they continue to be lukewarm ; neither one thing nor 
the other ; Roman Catholic in their adherence to the 
Pope and in the observance of certain outward forms of 
religion — Greeks as regards the privileges accorded to 
their priests — Protestants in the acknowledgment of 
both the wine and the bread in the Lord's supper — and 
nondescripts in the method of its administration. If 
we take a review of their waverings we may be led to 
some conclusion on this head. First, we are told that 
their sect originated with a hermit of the fifth century : 
nearly 600 years they appear to have adhered to their 
original faith, but in 1182 they submitted to the pope's 
authority. Barely a century elapses when they are 
found wavering again, owing to circumstances then 
transpiring in the East. Nearly 300 years afterwards 
they again return to the Church of Rome ; this was in 
1445. And now, 400 years after that, we find their 
creed to consist of an amalgamation of all the Christian 
sects. This cannot last long: they must eventually 
become one thing or the other ; either de facto Roman 
Catholics, or else de facto Greeks or Protestants. 

Notwithstanding the Maronites live under a theo- 
cracy, from the peculiar situation of the Lebanon with 
regard to the lords of the surrounding land, the admis- 
sion to many privileges was rendered not only advan- 
tageous, but absolutely requisite ; and from these facts 
the notions of liberty entertained by the Maronite are 
far more exalted than those meagre ideas that possess 
the brain of the inhabitant of the plains. Their patri- 
arch, subject to the pope's approval, is elected by the 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



273 



bishops of the nation : to him they pay extraordinary 
deference. The bishops are also possessed of immense 
influence,, and their word is tantamount to law. The 
local authorities are careful to avoid anything that 
might cause offence to these prelates, well knowing 
the influence they exercise over the minds of the peo- 
ple. Owing to this influence, crime is in a great mea- 
sure unknown amongst the Maronites ; for offences, 
however trivial, are immediately judged by the clergy, 
and satisfaction and retribution at once exacted. Mar- 
riages without the bishop's consent cannot be conse- 
crated ; and any faux pas on the part of young people 
usually terminates in their marriage. 

The word of excommunication or anathema, amongst 
the Maronites, is 6C fra-massoon" ; and he or she on whom 
it is pronounced, is as much avoided and abhorred 
as the plague-stricken. All houses are closed against 
a "fra-massoon" and he may starve of cold and 
hunger amongst his own family and friends, with none 
to compassionate him. I remember being told by a 
person not overburdened with common sense, that upon 
one occasion, some years ago, a friend of his had given 
shelter and food to a " fra-massoon" ; and that, happening 
unfortunately, soon after, to quit this world, his body 
was put aside in a cave, in accordance with the usual 
custom. Ten years afterwards, the coffin was acci- 
dentally opened, and the spectators saw with horror 
that the corpse was quite fresh, and presented no signs 
of decomposition. So unusual an occurrence excited 
great curiosity, and inquiries being made, it soon be- 
came known that the departed had transgressed the 
laws of the Church, by giving hospitality to one whom 
its ministers had cursed. The relatives of the deceased 
instantly went to the priest, and, after feeing him 

n 5 



274 



THE THISTLE AND 



pretty freely, obtained his services to read a certain 
number of prayers over the corpse, and to pronounce 
upon it the forgiveness of the Church. Hereupon 
nature resumed her usual course, and nothing further 
was heard of the subject. 

The Maronites, under the influence of priestcraft, are 
noted as being most inhospitable to all excepting those 
professing their own creed; and even European tra- 
vellers have been refused a shelter for the night, sup- 
posing that they were missionaries. They are a very 
superstitious and credulous people, and delight in ab- 
surd legends. They perform pilgrimages to Jerusalem 
and also to the tomb of Noah, supposed to be situated 
in the village of Kerak, between Beyrout and Baalbec \ 
and about this they have endless ridiculous stories. 
They also pretend to have discovered the tomb of Moses, 
at a place a short distance from where the late Lady 
Hester Stanhope used to live. 

One great advantage which the Maronites possess, 
and which must eventually prove very beneficial to 
them, is the fact, that education is spreading universally 
amongst them. There is a native printing-press at 
work in one of the monasteries ; but though the 
generality of the men are generally well-bred, the 
women are grossly ignorant and rude. Lady Francis 
Egerton found cause to complain of this sadly : " If I 
fastened my door," says her ladyship, "they called 
and knocked and battered at it, until I feared it 
would yield to their efforts ; and this at five o' clock in 
the morning, whilst I was in bed." — A. pardonable 
curiosity, however, amongst a semi-barbarous people; 
for so the women must be termed, until they are 
admitted to the privileges conferred by education, and 
social intercourse with civilised English women. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



275 



The Maronites, in common with the Greeks and the 
Armenians, pay an annual visit to the Cedars of Leba- 
non, for the celebration of the feast of the Transfigura- 
tion. Here they celebrate mass on a rough stone altar, 
at the foot of the cedars : in the open air — in " a temple 
not made with hands " — some of them offer up prayers 
and thanksgivings, quoting those very Psalms of David 
which were composed and written expressly to comme- 
morate God's mercy and loving-kindness, as in con- 
nection with the immediate spots which surround these 
cedars. 

A wedding amongst the Maronites differs in some 
material points from the ordinary marriages in Syria ; 
in the first place, the priest is considered the prin- 
cipal negociator, and on his report as to the suitable- 
ness of the match, much of the future happiness of the 
young people may be said to depend. After prelimi- 
naries have been arranged, gifts of dresses, and the 
like, are exchanged, but the bashful fiancee is sup- 
posed to be in utter ignorance of all that transpires, to 
spurn these gifts, and to dislike even the mention of 
her future husband's name. The priest blesses the 
bridal clothes of the bridegroom before he adopts 
them. When the Mends go to fetch the bride, a mock 
combat ensues, in which, however, without bloodshed 
or bruises, the bridegroom's party is invariably victorious, 
and the women carry off the veiled bride in triumph, at- 
tended by her female relation. The bride's house 
mourns her departure, and she herself makes no secret 
of her sorrow to leave ; but the arm (bride) no sooner 
makes her appearance than the shouts and acclamations, 
and firing off muskets by the assembled multitude, seem 
effectually to drown any discordant sounds of lamenta- 
tion \ the procession, however, moves at a funeral pace, 



276 



-THE THISTLE AND 



for it is thought highly indecorous that the bride should 
appear as though anxious to arrive at her new abode. 
On crossing the threshold, she is saluted by the women 
with the cry of welcome, and clapping the hands ; 
and after her veil has been removed, she is covered 
with one of red gauze, and then made to sit in state on 
the divan at the upper end of the room. Here she 
neither smiles nor speaks, but rises on the entry of each 
venerable female friend, to embrace her, and kiss her 
hand, Both men and women, though in separate apart- 
ments, pass the night in noisy liilarity. Before sunset 
the bishop, or in his absence the senior priest, attends 
at the bridegroom's house to perform the ceremony ; all 
symptoms of mirth are immediately abandoned, silence 
is proclaimed, and then the service proceeds very much 
after the fashion of the Greek Church, only that both 
the groomsman and bridesmaid are crowned by the 
priest as well as the couple being married, and the 
bridegroom places the ring given him by the priest 
on the bride's finger. Towards the end of the marriage 
ceremony, the priest puts a piece of blue riband, 
with the picture of a saint attached to it, round the 
bridegroom's neck. The new married bride is con- 
fined to her house for the space of a month after her 
marriage. 

I have already mentioned the extreme facility with 
which the M aronites believe many fables and super- 
stitions that have any connection with religious mat- 
ters; and perhaps I shall be pardoned for introducing 
in evidence of this, a fact which occurred about eighty 
years ago, which attracted the attention of the traveller 
Volney, and which is still spoken of very frequently 
among the inhabitants. There are several nunneries be- 
longing to the Maronites in the Lebanon, and it was in 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



277 



one of them, about the period mentioned, that Hindyeh, 
a young nun, forced herself into great notoriety by 
the severity of her penances, and the extraordinary 
piety she displayed. Having found many friends, her 
reputation increased to such an extent, that she was at 
last declared capable of working miracles; and the 
simple-minded Maronites, having provided the funds, 
she was duly installed in a religious establishment of 
her own. Her nunnery, and the other establishments 
in connection with it, had flourished for more than 
twenty years, when a suspicion was suddenly excited, 
that several of the nuns, of whom many had died, had 
met their death by unfair means, and that most improper 
practices prevailed within the cells. An unhappy 
merchant of Sidon, who had placed two of his 
daughters in the establishment, disturbed by these 
reports, determined to visit the place and make inquiries. 
On his arrival, he was told he could not see his 
daughters because they were ill, and finding that all 
entreaties were in vain, he proceeded to Dayr al 
Kamar, and obtained an armed force from Emir 
Yusuf, the chief of the mountain, and the attendance 
of the bishop, to enquire into the matter. The result 
shewed the existence of a system of wickedness and 
profligacy, exceeding in iniquity anything ever known, to 
which one of the daughters of the merchant in question 
had already fallen a victim, the other being at the time 
almost dead. The holy, or rather unholy, Hindyeh, was 
seized and imprisoned, with her accomplices, and the 
examinations which were made fully criminated them all. 
The arch priestess of all this wickedness managed to 
escape from the convent in which she was imprisoned, 
and to reach a locality in which she possessed a large 
body of adherents and believers. Notwithstanding the 



278 



THE THISTLE AND 



disclosures which were made, the hypocritical career 
pursued by this nefarious woman, so completely imposed 
upon the soft credible Maronites, that she died respected 
and revered, and to this day is acknowledged as a saint. 
Need I say anything more to prove the extent to 
which this weakness is carried among the fellahen. 

The number of Roman Catholics in Syria, including 
both the Armenians and the Greek Roman Catholics, 
as one portion of them is called, may be stated at about 
90,000; and, as they differ in no important points 
from the Roman Catholics of the West, they may be 
passed over without further mention. I may observe, 
however, that the Armenians are not so generally 
respected as their Christian brethren of other denomi- 
nations ; and, in illustration, I would remark, that at 
the grand ceremony on Easter-day of bringing down fire 
from heaven, the Armenians are driven to obtain a 
portion of it as best they may ; their priests and pil- 
grims being generally forced into the most remote 
corner of the sacred edifice. 

The Copts, or, as we are accustomed to call them in 
the East, "the Oobbeet," are the followers of one 
" Mar Yackoob." Their chief doctrine is that Christ 
possessed but one nature; and they agree with the 
Orthodox Eastern Church in saying that the Holy 
Spirit proceeded from the Son. They are governed 
by a patriarch who resides at Cairo, and is called 
patriarch of Alexandria, whose authority is very great 
over the whole sect; indeed, their most prominent 
characteristic may be said to be an almost slavish 
obedience to their priests. Like the Maronites they 
invariably kiss the hand of any priest they may en- 
counter in the open street, or country; and many of 
them prostrate themselves before the holy man. Though 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



279 



they conform to the Hebrew practice of circumcision, 
they also baptize their infants. It is customary with 
them to pray seven times during the twenty-four hours, 
according to the rules prescribed by the patriarchs ; 
and it is, moreover, a common practice with many of 
them to learn by heart the whole of the Psalms, some 
of which they invariably repeat before proceeding to 
transact any business, in the belief that this devout 
recurrence to the Psalmist will ensure prosperity to the 
affair they have in hand. 

Generally they are very clever, especially at figures. 
A few of them have recently joined the Orthodox 
Eastern Church, with which they have many practices 
and doctrines in common, and a small section has been 
very powerfully worked upon by a Lazarite mission, the 
members of which succeeded in persuading several 
parents to part with their children for the purpose of 
having them educated in Paris. 

It is presumed from the remarkably Jewish cast of 
their features, and from their adherence to the Hebrew 
law, that they are of J ewish origin ; but other evidence 
on this point is wanting. Though I have said that 
they were called after one Mar Yackoob, their existence 
as a Christian sect is clearly established at an earlier 
period j and indeed it has been said by many of the 
learned visitors to Syria, that they are as old as the 
Nestorians. At all events they were only organized by 
Mar Yackoob, who founded a perfect theocratic form of 
association or government. Indeed, wherever we torn, 
whether it be to the several Christian sects or denomi- 
nations in the East, or to any one of the pagan forms 
of religion, we find the same fact in all. They have all 
been founded and organised by a priest, and, whether 
for good or evil, priestly influence has, in most instances, 



280 



THE THISTLE AND 



prevailed until the present day. It is also believed that 
the Armenians were in some way connected with, or 
absolutely descended from, the Copts ; and there is very 
good evidence of great intimacy between the latter and 
the Nestorians, the last of the Christian bodies in 
Syria, and now to be described. In point of numbers 
the Copts are very unimportant. They do not exceed 
300 in Syria, but there are a great many of them to be 
found in Egypt. 

The Nestorians now claim my attention ; but as very 
little is known concerning them in my own neighbour- 
hood, and as I have never had an opportunity of visiting 
them in their own mountain-homes, I can only relate 
what has been told me by travellers. 

It is believed that they are of Jewish origin; but 
there is no positive evidence on the point, beyond their 
features, their observance of certain Jewish customs, 
and their respect for portions of the Hebrew code of 
laws. It cannot be doubted, however, that they have 
maintained Christianity in the East for more than six- 
teen hundred years ; and that, as primitive Christians, 
who have not degenerated from the simple form of 
worship enjoined by the apostles of our Lord, they are 
entitled to our deepest respect and veneration. 

They are divided into two sects, the Simple and the 
Papal Nestorians ; but the former do not acknowledge 
the latter as a part of their body, and declare that they 
are in no way connected with the Nestorian Church. 
They have two patriarchs, who reside in the mountains 
near Julamerk, and whose influence, together with that 
of all the priesthood, is very great indeed. Here again 
we find existing a purely theocratic form of government. 
The priesthood legislate politically and socially, and 
they administer the laws judicially, as well as attend 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



281 



to the religious wants of the community over which 
they preside. 

The habits and manner of life of the Nestorians are 
so primitive, that their simplicity has become prover- 
bial in the East. Their belief differs from the Orthodox 
Eastern Church, by declaring the existence of two 
persons in the Saviour, as was propounded by their 
founder, Nestorius, in the beginning of the fifth cen- 
tury. The sacrament of bread and wine is administered 
to all by the officiating priest, in almost the same way 
as this ceremony is performed in the Greek Eastern 
churches. They are most hostile to the Roman 
Catholics, whom they hate. 

Including the Nestorians inhabiting Persia, T believe 
there may be altogether about 100,000. On the con- 
fines of Persia, they are engaged in perpetual warfare 
with the Koords. 



282 



THE THISTLE AND 



CHAPTER XVII. 

THE POPULATION OF SYRIA, CONTINUED. THE PAGAN 

INHABITANTS. 

Having dwelt at some length upon the several bodies 
of Christian inhabitants of Syria, I must entreat my 
kind readers' pardon if I endeavour to make my descrip- 
tion of the Pagan portion as brief and condensed as 
possible. Of course, I need not advert to the Mahom- 
medans, the faithful followers of the Prophet. As I 
have stated before, they comprise by far the largest 
proportion of the inhabitants of the towns and lowlands 
of Syria, and are lords and masters over the rest of the 
population. 

But, besides the orthodox Mahommedans, we have in 
Syria a very large number of heterodox followers of the 
Mahommedan faith, who are called Metoulis; and 
who, though they certainly are less numerous than 
their orthodox brethren, are an infinitely more inter- 
esting people. They are followers of Ali, the other sect 
adhering to Omar. They may amount, in round num- 
bers, to about 35,000; but as they have selected for 
their homes some of the most inaccessible parts of the 
mountainous districts of the country, their numbers 
cannot be very accurately ascertained. They are said, 
by many persons, to belong to the same section of the 
Mahommedan faith as the Persians, who also believe in 
Ali ; but they exhibit some peculiar doctrines and cus- 
toms, which establish an essential distinction between 
the two. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



283 



Like many of the Persians, they worship AH, and 
they expect the advent of the Messiah in the person 
of the twelfth Imam of his line, whom the Turks 
allege to have been slain in the battle of Karbela, in 
which he engaged with the caliph of Babylon; but 
whom the Metoulis believe to have been transported 
to Arabia, by the miraculous interposition of the 
Divinity, and from whence he is to return in triumph, 
to re-establish the race of the Imams on the throne, 
and to punish all who opposed him or his followers. 
When the expected Messiah does appear, they believe 
that he will assume the government of the whole world 
— that he will visit with the most dreadful punishments 
all who shall have denied him — and that he will render 
unto all true believers eternal happiness. 

In expectation of the advent of this Messiah, the 
Metoulis keep horses, money, and clothing constantly 
in readiness for his arrival; and whatever is once set 
apart for this purpose, is held sacred for ever after, and 
cannot be used by an ordinary mortal.'* 

They believe in the transmigration and gradual puri- 
fication of the soul, which, according to their belief, 
eventually becomes a bright star in the heavenly firma- 

* It may be as well here to relate an anecdote in connection 
with the late Lady H. Stanhope, whose eccentric life has already 
excited so much interest all over Europe. It came to the know- 
lege of some Metouli chiefs that her ladyship, like themselves, 
kept apart two beautiful mares ready caparisoned, on which 
no one had ever yet ridden ; attributing this to a religious pre- 
judice similar to their own, they came to the conclusion that 
she ought to be considered as one of themselves. A council was 
accordingly held, but after many pros and cons the vote was 
unfavourable to her ladyship's election, because, as one of the 
chiefs asserted, she was so excessively eccentric, as to ride on one 
side of her horse, and not to wear trousers. I believe that 
this occurred before her ladyship had adopted the Oriental 
style of dress. 



284 



THE THISTLE AND 



merit. The first apostle of Ali, in Syria, was Abou- 
Abdallah-Mohammed, who was most successful iu 
making converts, but, having excited the envy and 
hatred of some of the chief people of Damascus, he 
was imprisoned and burned alive as an infidel and 
blasphemer. From this circumstance he has been 
styled the first martyr. 

Though the first apostle of the new faith was thus 
summarily extinguished, the light of his doctrines was 
not smothered with him, and it may be considered 
certain that the manner of his death was mainly the 
cause of the rapidity with which they spread over the 
country immediately afterwards. As is generally the 
case, persecution lent strength and vitality to the cause, 
and many sought the honour of a martyrdom similar to 
that which had befallen Abou-Abdallah Mohammed. 
However, the faster the new religion spread, the 
greater activity did the Orthodox authorities develop in 
putting it down. Priest after priest was being drawn 
and quartered, hundreds of men, women, and children 
were butchered or buried alive, to gratify the atrocious 
passions of an ignorant people, and a still more bar- 
barous government. Nevertheless, the new faith pros- 
pered, and the Metoulis began to assume a position of 
influence and power in the country ; but after numerous 
vicissitudes, the butcher Djezzar, who had been made 
governor of Syria, succeeded by cunning and treachery 
in prostrating their power, and destroying their strong- 
holds. Thousands of the Metoulis were executed by his 
orders, and even under his eye, and, like Mehemet Ali, 
who watched the destruction of the Manielukes, so did 
Ahmed Djezzar amuse himself by watching the death 
struggles of hundreds of the Metoulis who had been 
hurled from the battlements of Nabatieh into the 
Kasmieh. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



285 



Under persecutions like these,, the strong arm of the 
authorities, aided by the passions of a fanatical body, 
combining together against them, the Metoulis gradu- 
ally lessened in numbers, and consequently lost the 
influential and powerful position they were beginning 
to acquire. Politically this sect may now be said to be 
prostrate, but they cherish the memories of those of 
their forefathers who fell in the defence of their 
religious independence, and many an evening's hour 
is passed by the people listening in rapt attention to 
the numerous anecdotes of the firmness, the courage, 
and the devotedness of the martyrs for their faith. 

The localities they live in entail habits and customs 
which naturally tend to rear a hardy and courageous 
race. Their method of living is simple in the extreme ; 
but, though the stranger who may visit their mountain- 
villages is sure of the greatest hospitality, it is, never- 
theless, of a peculiar character. They never admit 
within their dwellings any person who does not belong 
to their own persuasion, nor do they allow any one but 
a Metouli to use their furniture or domestic utensils. 
Should a Frank or a Jew by accident touch a mat or a 
pot belonging to them, it is instantly cast away as defiled 
and unclean. To receive the wandering stranger there 
is erected, in every village, a house for the purpose, in 
which the visiter is ever most bountifully provided for. 
Strange to say, however, their dislike to contact with 
others, extends no farther than their own dwellings. In 
the open air, or in a house belonging to a person of a 
different persuasion, they are alike indifferent to the 
presence of Christian or Jew, conversing and associating 
with them as freely as they zealously avoid permitting 
them to enter their own dwellings. They are an exceed- 
ingly clean people, never sitting down to a meal without 
having performed their ablutions. 



286 



THE THISTLE AND 



It is owing, perhaps, to the paucity of their numbers, 
but still more, I think, to the gradual decline of the 
power of theMaronite, that the Metoulis exist untroubled 
in their mountain fastnesses. But should any attempt 
be made by any government, or by any other religious 
body in the East, to wrong or to subjugate them, I am 
convinced the Metoulis would not submit without a 
very severe struggle, in which their native ferocity 
would once more appear on the surface, to their own 
disadvantage, perhaps, but still more to that of their 
enemy. 

A good deal has been written respecting the 
Druses, who are the most curious, and least known 
section of the population of Syria. The cause of 
the ignorance which prevails concerning them, and 
which I am unable to dispel, will be seen in the follow- 
ing account of this interesting and courageous people. 

I have been told that several learned men have, at 
different times, diligently endeavoured to acquire a 
thorough insight into the religious theories possessed 
by the Druses, but I have never yet met with any 
author who has given an explanation or description 
of them, satisfactory to his readers. Where others, 
whom I have been taught to respect and revere, 
have failed, I hesitate to make the attempt, knowing 
that I shall be unsuccessful. In point of fact, the 
great mystery which surrounds the religion of the 
Druses is, I fear, a mystery even to. themselves, a 
shadowy outline, which the initiated are told they 
understand, and which the uninitiated worship in the 
depth of their ignorance. 

The Druses inhabit the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, 
or rather the southern portions of the mountain, in 
which they possess a great deal of land and villages ; 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



287 



but they are also mixed up with the Maronite and 
other Christian populations of more than two hun- 
dred other villages. They are divided into two 
classes ; the initiated into the mysteries of their 
religion are called Akkals, and the uninitiated are 
called Djahils. Both sexes are alike eligible for initia- 
tion among the Akkals; in this respect, there is that 
perfect equality for the female sex, which I so often 
hear some of my fair friends in England sighing 
for. But the woman who is a Akkaliah may not 
marry a Djakil. There is an easy remedy for this, 
however, since I am told that initiation may be effected 
on very short notice, and without expense or examina- 
tions. Every Thursday the Akkals meet in Khalueh, 
a temple, or building, erected expressly for the purpose, 
and in which their religious books, their war trophies, 
and standards, are kept. Here they sit talking of 
politics, or reading religious books, and when the 
general discussions are concluded, the majority go away, 
leaving only the highest in social rank to discuss the 
interests of the tribe with the priests. Their chief 
priest, or as I take the liberty of calling him, their 
great mystery -man, lives at Bakleen, whence he rules 
over the whole body. As I have said previously, the 
nature of their religious belief is a mystery. It is 
neither Christian nor Jewish, nor Mahommedan nor 
Pagan. They believe in the unity of God, and in the 
transmigration of souls, but while they themselves 
profess to be Mahommedans, they exhibit in their social 
customs as well as in their features, many points of 
resemblance with the Jews, and they have no hesitation 
whatever in denouncing Mahoinmed as a false prophet, 
and in disregarding the most sacred festivals of the 
Moslem faith. 



288 



THE THISTLE AND 



Though so little is known of their present religion, 
it has been tolerably well ascertained that it was 
founded by one Darazi, who about the middle of the 
eleventh century traversed Syria,, preaching the doc- 
trine that the real Caliph Hakim was the incarnation 
of God, and the most perfect manifestation of the Deity. 
Name and strength was, however, first given to the 
new creed by one Hamza, who denounced Adam, Abra- 
ham, Moses, Jesus, and Mahommed as the false pro- 
phets, and declared himself to be the incarnation of the 
spirit of universal intelligence. In his creed, he either 
forgot or wilfully omitted all notice of a future state of 
existence. Since that period, this peculiar faith has 
gained many proselytes ; and the Druses are now, next 
to the Maronites, the most numerous religious body in 
Lebanon who are not Mahommedans. 

Leaving their mysterious creed, to deal with the 
people themselves, I may state, that they are easily 
distinguished by their features, being, generally speak- 
ing, muscular, well-made men, active, and middle-sized, 
and enabled to undergo great fatigue. Their courage 
is not to be daunted. The women are generally very 
handsome, with tall, slim figures, black hair, and beau- 
tiful blue eyes. The disposition of the men is a strange 
mixture of open-hearted hospitality and morose vindic- 
tiveness; but they are strictly honourable, and have 
never been known to break a promise. In all their 
transactions they deal uprightly with one another ; but 
this cannot be said to be the case when they transact 
business with others : their creed admits of their prac- 
tising imposition upon infidels to their own faith. 

I have already observed, that there exists a great 
resemblance between the ancient Scottish clans and 
the mountaineers of the Lebanon. In support of this, 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



289 



I cannot do better than to quote what Volney says, 
when speaking of the Druses : — " When the emir and 
sheikhs had determined on war at Dayr al Kamar, criers 
went up at night to the summits of the cliffs, and cried 
aloud, { To war, to war ! Take your guns, take your 
pistols ! Noble sheikhs, mount your horses ; arm your- 
selves with the lance and the sabre : meet to-mor- 
row at Dayr al Kamar. Zeal of God ! zeal of com- 
bat ! 3 This summons, heard in the neighbouring 
villages," continues the same author, "was repeated 
there ; and as the whole country is nothing but a chain 
of lofty mountains and deep valleys, the proclamation 
passed through its length and breadth in a few hours. 
These cries, from the stillness of the night, the long- 
resounding echoes, and the nature of the subject, had 
something awful and terrible in their effect. Three 
days after, fifteen thousand men were assembled at 
Dayr al Kamar, and operations might have been imme- 
diately commenced." 

To strengthen their respective clans, is the Druses' 
main object through life; and to effect this, they almost 
invariably marry amongst themselves — preferring their 
own relations and poverty, to the richest dowry or a 
foreigner. Their creed admits of but one wife; but 
they allow of divorces. If a Druse says to his wife, 
" Go to your father's house," and does not say to her, 
" Come back," it is considered a divorce. Their jea- 
lousy far outstrips the Mussulman's : any conjugal 
infidelity is certain of being requited by death : no 
intercession, however powerful, can avail aught in these 
cases ; even where fathers have made intercession, bro- 
thers have become the executioners of their own sisters. 
Any man can divorce his wife upon paying a certain 
sum ; but divorces are of very rare occurrence. 



290 



THE THISTLE AND 



The every-day life of the Druse is monotonous in the 
extreme ; even their children at an early age inherit 
their insipid manner of life, and leave the healthful 
recreation of a good game at damah, to sit down in a 
circle, and ape their parents in discussing politics. 
The Druse, like most of the natives of Syria, is an 
early riser ; and the first thing he does after he has 
gone through his morning ablutions, is to command his 
wife to set before him a large bowl of freshly-drawn 
goat's milk, or dibs. In this he sops his bread; and, 
making a hearty and wholesome breakfast, shoulders 
his gun, sticks his kanjur in his girdle, lights his pipe, 
and then goes forth to attend to his daily occupations 
till mid-day. If it be the season to plough, he har- 
nesses his oxen, and treads heavily after the furrows till 
nigh upon mid-day, at which time his wife or one of 
the family brings him out his substantial mid-day re- 
past. In this interval he has perhaps rested himself 
half a dozen times, to sit and smoke a pipe : or, if a 
fellow-creedsman passed, he has stopped to exchange a 
few words — complain of the heat, ask the news, the 
lowest price quoted for wheat, and so on ; but you 
seldom hear them laughing or joking with one another, 
and never by any chance singing or whistling ; they 
have no idea of a tune, no taste for music, unless it be 
the music of money rattling in their pockets ; and this 
has greater charms for them than the pipe of Tityrus 
had over the Sylvan woods. At this mid-day meal 
there is another fresh bowl of laban milk in addition 
to a goodly supply of boryhol, and, in summer, cucumber 
and some chillies, or the batingan stuffed with hashed 
mutton and rice. 

As the sun sinks behind the conical tops of the 
western hills, the Druse unyokes his cattle and drives 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



291 



them homeward, himself shouldering the plough. Now 
it is that, if ever he enjoys himself, the Druse indulges 
in a little relaxation. If he be fortunate enough to be 
possessed of a supply of powder and shot, he deviates 
from his right path, leaving the oxen to find their way 
home untended, and shouts and throws stones into every 
bush and down every glade he passes. Sometimes a 
hare starts up, sometimes a covey of partridges, or, 
may be, a jackal; but, whatever the game chance 
to be, he fires, and that with so steady and correct an 
aim, as to be almost certain of securing the victim. 
Even jackals' skins are valuable, and will fetch their 
price. 

Of an evening they assemble at one anothers* houses, 
and there, with pipe in hand, seated in such an attitude 
that their knees are on a level with their nose, they 
talk politics by the hour. They are generally a dissa- 
tisfied, gloomy, and grumbling people, and their usual 
topic of conversation is exactly what John Bull is so 
much laughed at for, viz., the hardness of the times. 
They pull to pieces the pacha, the emir, the effendis 
— lament over the prospects of a bad silk crop, or a worse 
wheat harvest, speaking feelingly of the general lack 
of money — foretell that things will be certain to go on 
from bad to worse — predict a famine — prophesy a mur- 
rain amongst the cattle — see in the yellow tinge of the 
western atmosphere the cholera — smell out of the 
heavy night-dew an interminable catalogue of maladies, 
as absurd and unknown as any of the aforegoing cala- 
mities ; and, having worked themselves up to an extreme 
pitch of wretchedness, they disperse for the night, and 
retrace their steps to their respective homes, croaking the 
while, or hooting gloomily to one another just as a parcel 
of ravens would croak or owls hoot as they wing their 



292 



THE THISTLE AND 



way to roost, when the distant growl of thunder fore- 
tels the coming storm. 

The Druses are great hypocrites in religions matters. 
One of their religious books gives them this liberty, 
for it says : — Embrace the religion of those who have 
power over you ; for such is the pleasure of our Maoula, 
till he, to whom the best times are known, shall un- 
sheathe the sword, and display the power of his unity.' 3 
Hence, with the Turks, they pretend to be devout 
Moslems — fast when they fast, and feast when they 
feast. With the Christians they are equally de- 
voted to the Adrah Mariam — the Virgin Mary; and 
- in private they despise and detest both : but I believe 
that the Druses have really great faith and confidence 
in the English, whom they suppose to be all Protestants ; 
and their idea of a Protestant is that their religion is a 
species of free-masonry, which very much resembles 
their own. Of late years political struggles on the 
mountains have served rather to strengthen this belief, 
for the Druses were invariably supported by the English ; 
and the native attaches, agents, and other people, 
not only of the Consulates in the neighbouring towns, 
but also English travellers, lost no opportunity of 
impressing this fact upon the minds of the Druses who 
were already predisposed to such a belief from the fact 
of a tradition long existent amongst them, that many 
of their noblest families were descended from some of 
he princes amongst the Crusaders. 

The Druses never introduce the subject of their 
religion before others; that is to say, never in such a 
form as to hold it forth as an argument, or an induce- 
ment for others to become proselytes, or to inform 
strangers of their doctrines, but they confidently affirm 
that a great number of their co-religionists inhabit the 



THE CEDAR OP LEBANON. 



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vast continent of India, and declare that they are to be 
met with even in China, from which they believe they 
themselves came. 

They suppose, that in England there are to this day 
many of the Akkals, or initiated, but of later years their 
confidence has been much shaken ; and apropos of this, 
I quote an extract of a letter from one of the Akkals of 
the Druses, sent to me from Lebanon in 1845 : — 
" There are many English travellers, and some men ap- 
parently of much wisdom, who have visited us and 
conversed on subjects of religion, and they endeavour 
to persuade us that in their country there are many 
people who profess a creed similar to our own : this was 
particularly mentioned by a tall English emir. I wish 
you would enquire into this matter, and write us your 
opinion clearly ; and should the report be verified, the 
existence of such co-religionists would at once entitle 
us to claim the protection of the English upon the same 
grounds as the Maronites are protected by France." 

It is said that, in the official report of M. Desmeloises, 
then a French Consul in Syria, this belief of the 
Druses that they were allied to, and descended from, 
noble European families, was found serviceable to the 
French agents, when the allied forces appeared off the 
coast of Syria, for the purpose of expelling Ibrahim 
Pacha and the Egyptian troops, and they acted upon 
the imagination of the Druses so powerfully, that little 
or no inducement was requisite to cause them to side 
with the Europeans. 

There is one thing to which the Druses are much 
addicted, and which sadly deteriorates from their general 
character for civilization, nay, I may even say for being 
courteous gentlemen — this is, their fondness for raw 
meat. Whenever a gazelle is shot, or a kid killed, the 
raw kidneys and heart are luxuries for which the Druse 



294 



THE THISTLE AND 



epicure will contend with angry words ; and such is the 
force of example, that even Christians in the neighbour- 
hood have adopted this system of cannibalism, washing 
down every mouthful of raw meat with a strong glass of 
arakey. European authors accuse the Christians of the 
plains, and especially the women, of being guilty of a like 
atrocity, saying that they eat meat in their Jcubbas; but 
the fact is, what meat they use in these kubbas, is first so 
finely sliced up, and then so unmercifully thumped, till 
it becomes a perfect paste, that the very friction and 
heat more than half cook it ; besides which, this meat 
is mixed with chillies, onions, and boyhol, and the 
proportion of meat to wheat is one to ten. 

Outwardly the Druses keep up the appearance of 
friendship with their neighbours, but the intrigues of 
political agents, and the wary cunning of Roman 
priests, have of late years tended sadly to interrupt the 
harmony that existed between the Druses and the 
Maronites. 

Peculiar and interesting as my readers will have 
found the Druses, they certainly are not more so than 
the Yezidees, and the Nosairiyeh, who are both less 
numerous, and still less known. These tribes also 
inhabit the mountain districts ; but they live in much 
greater isolation than the other religious bodies, and in 
consequence, their numbers are not to be ascertained 
with anything approaching to precision. They do not 
inhabit any particular province, but I am perfectly well 
aware, as has been stated by one writer on this subject, 
that there are several hundred Nosairiyeh resident in 
the small village of Salahiyeh, about one mile from 
Damascus. The locality, however, in which they 
are most numerous, is undoubtedly the range of 
mountains north of Mount Lebanon. Like the Yezidees, 
the Nosairiyeh worship fire, and the principle of evil, 



THE CEDAR OE LEBANON. 



295 



but I have not heard or seen so much of the latter or of 
their habits and customs, as of the former, owing to the 
inaccessible nature of the country in which they prin- 
cipally dwell, and partly also to the hardy independent 
character of the people themselves. I can assure my 
readers, that it is a task of no slight difficulty, and even 
great danger, to penetrate into the Northern Lebanon, 
and it has very rarely indeed been successfully accom- 
plished. In illustration of this fact, I may narrate here 
the experience of a friend of mine, who desired per- 
sonally to obtain all the information concerning this 
people, which a trip into the most northern parts of the 
Lebanon could procure. Having made all his arrange- 
ments for the purpose, he departed, provided with 
a passport, or firman, from the Turkish authorities, 
addressed to all the sheikhs of the mountain-tribes, 
ordering them to shew the bearer every civility, and to 
afford him every protection during his journey. Armed 
with this document, he proceeded on his journey without 
much apprehension. During the first day's travel among 
the hills, he found the firman most effective, the sheikhs 
lending him every aid to get on. But he had no sooner 
left the immediate limits within which the people came 
into direct and frequent contact with the authorities, 
than he found the case was very different ; argument 
and entreaty became necessary, where the mere sight of 
the firman had formerly been sufficient to procure the 
gratification of his wishes. Having succeeded in ob- 
taining quarters for the night in the abode of a small 
sheikh, who condescended to be hospitable to the 
stranger, my friend soon got into conversation with his 
entertainer, and ultimately explained the whole object 
of his journey. The Sheikh listened in silence, twisting 
his moustachios with Eastern solemnity, and displaying 
some astonishment in his features at what he evidently 



296 



THE THISTLE AND 



considered the very hazardous course which my friend 
seemed bent on pursuing. After supper, the sheikh re- 
turned to the subject, and laboured seriously to impress 
upon his guest's mind the nature of the numerous dan- 
gers which he must encounter if he continued his journey. 
To the sheikh's argument respecting the want of all roads, 
the ruggednesses of the mountain paths, sudden preci- 
pices, and dangerous fords, my friend laughingly rejoined, 
that he relied on a stout pair of legs, a firm hand, and a 
steady eye, and that he would not shrink from his ob- 
ject deterred by such difficulties, which a strong and bold 
man might readily vanquish ; and in reply to the sheikh's 
still more serious sketch of the dangerous character 
of the tribes through whose territories he must pass, 
my-friend, still laughing, nourished what he considered 
his all-powerful firman. The sheikh asked permission 
to read it ; it was granted, and having perused it, 
returned it to its owner. After some moments' silence 
he rose from his mat, and approaching my friend, said 
to him, in an under-tone : " Friend, your firman cer- 
tainly may procure you protection and assistance on 
your outward journey, but it says nothing concerning 
your return; be advised, retrace your steps and get 
your firman amended, if you must inquire into our con- 
dition and habits, but you would do much better to 
remain among your friends. We Nosairiyeh do not 
like strangers." My friend stared at this address, which 
many of my readers may consider most lawyer-like, and 
worthy the nice distinctions between words which I am 
told the English lawyers delight to make ; but it had 
its effect, for we are yet without the full account of 
these people which my friend would have furnished us 
with. On the following morning he retraced his steps ; 
and on his arrival he appears to have forgotten to apply 
for any alteration or addition to his firman, and to have 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



297 



preferred the inglorious ease of home to the dangerous 
search after knowledge among unexplored mountains, 
inhabited by barbarous infidels. 

_Though my friend failed so egregiously, I am in a 
position to state that, in addition to their adoration of fire, 
and of the evil spirit, they are in the habit of worshipping 
the womb. This fact having become known, several travel- 
lers have been induced to state, that there exists a peculiar 
religious sect in Syria who are called Womb-worshippers, 
but I am sure that the only persons who deserve that 
name are the Nosairiyeh. The occasions on which this 
pecular part of their religion is developed are extremely 
limited; indeed, I believe that it takes place but once a 
year, when the greater majority of the whole people 
assemble together in a cave, which is set apart for the 
purpose, and which is known only to themselves. I can 
add, moreover, that no one is admitted to these rites, 
but who is acquainted with the distinguishing sign or 
token by which they recognise each other. When they 
are assembled, a variety of prayers adapted expressly to 
the occasion are recited, and when, what I may term 
the religious portion of the service is concluded, the 
men and women present have recourse to the most 
indelicate proceedings, which are the peculiar forms of 
worship of the womb. 

About a year since, I happened to be at a convent 
about two days' journey from Tripoli, and while there, 
I had an opportunity of seeing a number of these 
curious people. Some days previous to my arrival, a 
young woman belonging to them had been brought to 
the convent in a state of mental aberration. I ought to 
say that the convent is consecrated to Saint George, 
who is believed to possess especial power for the cure of 
madness, and for whom the Nosairiyeh, as well as 

o 5 



298 



THE THISTLE AND 



most of the mountain tribes, profess great respect and 
veneration — illustrating their professions practically, by 
the payment of an annual donation of oil, corn, and 
fruits, for the use of the convent. The young woman 
in question had been restored to reason, having been 
confined in chains during her whole stay, in one of the 
cells behind the altar, and kept on very low diet indeed. 
I will not say which part of the treatment had been 
most efficacious in curing her, but the devout believers 
in the power of the saint, declared that he had visited 
her during the night, and by his presence driven out the 
evil spirit. Her friends, being made acquainted with her 
miraculous recovery, came to reclaim her just after my 
arrival. Contrary to the general Eastern custom, there 
was a large number of women mixed up with the men, 
moving apparently on a footing of perfect equality with 
the ruder sex. While they remained within sight of the 
convent, before and after reclaiming their recovered 
companion, they appeared to care for nothing besides 
dancing and singing. One of their dances was very 
much like an English country dance, with a great deal 
of shaking of hands. I found them to be a powerfully 
built, muscular race, with open honest countenances; 
they were all thoroughly equipped and armed. In their 
dress the women differed from the general costume of 
the country, inasmuch as they wore very long and very 
flowing garments, of a kind usually only worn by 
men. 

My account of the inhabitants of Syria would be 
incomplete without some description of the Yezidees, of 
whom there are some thousands in the country. They 
are most numerous in Koordistan, where they are all 
comprised in one general body. In Syria, however, we 
are accustomed to divide them into three tribes — the 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



299 



worshippers of the sun, the Shemisees ; the worshippers 
of the devil, the Sheytanees; and the cut-throats. 
I do not mean to say that the latter portion are 
greater cut-throats than their co-religionists of the 
other two sections, for as for as the Mahommedans, 
with whom they come chiefly into collision, the whole 
of the three divisions are alike murderously inclined. 
Like the religion of the Druses, that of the Yezidees is 
an indescribable mixture of nearly all the religious 
creeds of the East and West. They respect Christ 
and the Christian saints, but they do not disavow 
Mahommed and Moses. They baptize their children, 
but they conform also to the Hebrew practice of circum- 
cision. They commemorate the birth of the Saviour, 
but they also celebrate the feast of the Passover with 
all the forms and solemnities customary among the 
Jews ; and they also abstain from all the food which is 
considered unclean by the Israelite. While worship- 
ping but one God, they profess profound veneration for 
Ahriman, the prince of darkness, and they also adore 
the fiery element, bowing before the rising sun. In 
praying, they are careful to kneel with their faces towards 
the East. Indeed, it would seem as if, doubtful of 
salvation under a simple faith of their own, the pre- 
siding minds of the Yezidees had collected the principal 
items from all religions in the world, in order to make 
sure of the right one. Some of them even do not 
hesitate to make an avowal of this kind. The most 
peculiar feature in their religion, is the extreme respect 
which they pay to the devil, who is never mentioned by 
his right name, but is always mysteriously spoken of 
as the great incognito, the bird of Paradise, and the 
worship of whom is always carried on after sun- 
set. I am assured too, that his Satanic eminence 



300 



THE THISTLE AND 



is always present on these sacred occasions, and is 
accustomed to acknowledge the honors paid to him by 
his credulous worshippers by a yell or scream of a most 
unearthly kind, its effect being to prostrate on their 
faces the whole of the parties present. Their head-priest 
possesses an extraordinary , amount of influence over the 
whole body. 

The Yezidees are a brave, open, confiding, honest, 
industrious, civil race, combining with these good quali- 
ties, however, an inordinate passion for warfare, civil 
and national, and a great proneness to robbery and 
pillage on a large scale. They are actuated by their 
intense contempt and hatred towards the Mahomme- 
dans to the committal of many excesses against the 
followers of the Prophet. Indeed, they are firmly con- 
vinced that they cannot perform a more meritorious 
action — an action more advantageous to themselves, 
both in this and the next life, and they absolutely take 
pleasure in ridding the world of a Mahommedan. This 
spirit of hatred is fully returned by its objects, who 
detest the Yezidees, and who consider the very name to 
be synonymous with all that is evil and treacherous. 

It has been stated of late years, that the traditions 
which exist among this people, and which tend to 
establish their descent from the ancient Hebrews, are 
founded on fact, and that they are in reality a remnant 
of the lost tribes of Israel. I am not sufficiently 
learned on this subject to trace the links of the con- 
nection, but I may unhesitatingly state, that the con- 
viction of its truth is rapidly spreading among the 
people themselves. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



301 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

APPEARANCE AND COSTUMES OF THE PEOPLE. 

I fear my readers will consider that I have been rather 
tedious in the last few chapters, but what I have said 
I consider indispensable to put thern in possession of the 
real state of niy beloved country; and to make them ge- 
nerally acquainted with the character, the religion, and 
the manners of its inhabitants. I shall now devote a 
few pages to a description of the appearance and cos- 
tumes of the different races. 

The large tract of territory extending from Aleppo, 
in the north, as far as the desert upon the outskirts of 
Gaza and Hebron, in the south, is inhabited by the 
variety of sects and people, whose peculiar religious 
ceremonies and occupations have been described in 
the preceding chapter. Commencing with the dis- 
trict of Aleppo, we shall find inhabiting that city, — 
first, the Aleppine- Greeks, most of whom are, by 
creed Roman Catholics, and by profession merchants, 
silk-weavers, and manufacturers of fine silken robes, 
such as are worn by the majority of the inhabitants, 
male and female. The peculiar costume of the natives 
of Aleppo is the most striking feature of that truly 
oriental and magnificent city. On a feast-day, between 
the hours of prayer, the gardens in the environs of the 
city are thronged with crowds of well dressed men and 



302 



THE THISTLE AND 



women ; some walking, some riding, and others seated 
on their seggadeh, or rugs, under the pleasant shades of 
the fragrant walnut-trees, with the chibuk or narghili 
in their hands, or else cowering upon the bank of the 
rivei, angling for fish. We will, with the reader's per- 
mission, place ourselves beside a merry group who are 
musically inclined, and hope to attract the attention of 
another group of laughing girls, who, though well 
muffled up in their white izars, still shew sufficient of 
well-proportioned features to convince the beholder that 
beauty lurks beneath the muffling veil. However, we 
take our station here, not to watch them, but those that 
pass to and fro, and to guess with the utmost precision, 
by their costumes, what their belief is, and in what 
peculiar calling of life they are engaged : first, then, 
comes an old gentleman riding on a white Egyptian ass 
— the very fact of his being the possessor of one of 
these valuable animals at once stamps him with respect- 
ability ; but apart from this, the tall kulpak, or Persian 
cap, on his head, and the long, loose flowing robes 
proclaim him to be a descendant from one of the most 
ancient, wealthy and respectable families of Aleppo. 
The privilege of wearing this peculiar kind of head-gear, 
exempts the wearer, by virtue of a firman obtained from 
the sublime Porte many centuries ago, from the capi- 
tation tax, and many other minor disagreeables to which 
the less fortunate rayahs are exposed. This firman was 
obtained either by interest, or for some service rendered 
by their ancestors to the Turkish government, at a period 
when all the rich trade of the Indies passed through 
Aleppo, and when, as even up to the latest period, that 
unfortunate city has been exposed to the incursions of 
the wild desert ^ tribes, who frequently molested the 



THE CEDAR 0E LEBANON. 



303 



Baghdad caravans, and even broke into the khans and 
strongholds, carrying off warehoused merchandise to a 
considerable anioimt. The resistance offered to these 
marauders by the wealthier merchants of Aleppo, 
led to their obtaining special favors from the Porte; 
and these favors, be it said to the honor of the ■ 
Turkish Sultans, have descended as an heir-loom from 
father to son, even down to the present day, and the 
insignia, as already mentioned, is the kuIpaJc which 
vender citizen carries on his head, By creed he is a 
Roman Catholic, and devout in the observance of fasts 
and festivals ; by profession a serraffj or moneychanger, 
and any of the European merchants who may require a 
few thousand piastres on an emergency, will go to this 
man. and he will advance the requisite sum instanter ; 
his business-office is not much longer than an ordinary 
sentinel's box, but then his house, which is in the 
suburbs of the city, is replete with comfort and elegance, 
and amongst other ffuniture and requisites, you will find 
massive porcelain jars, and other equally costly relics of 
the former Indian traffic, which have been handed down 
from father to son, and which are never brought into 
active service, save and except upon festive occasions, 
when a marriage or a christening is celebrated in the 
family. 

Next to this wealthy aristocrat, our eyes encounter a 
couple of natives on foot, both well clad, with rich 
silk scarfs girt round them, but on whose hands and 
arms the indelible dark blue tinge at once indicates their 
occupation, viz.. that of dyers: generally speaking, they 
profess, in most parts of Syria, the tenets of the Greek 
chinch, and they are almost a peculiar people of them- 
selves, mhabiting the suburbs of a town for the sake of 
convenience, and in order to be in the immediate 



304 



THE THISTLE AND 



vicinity of level verdant plains, on which, during the 
summer months, they stretch the dyed cloths to dry. 
It is seldom, however, that these people make use of 
any other dyes than the commonest blue and black — 
such as is well adapted, from its inferior materials, to 
meet the meagrely supplied purses of the greater mass 
of the population of Syria, blue shintians being in- 
variably the every- day costume of masons, mechanics, 
day-labourers, and peasants occupied in agricultural 
pursuits ; hence it is that the profits on labour are small 
and insignificant, the occupation is incessant, and the 
demand never fluctuating. From this circumstance also, 
the indigo imported from England and other parts of 
Europe invariably meets with a ready and profitable 
sale amongst this class of people, who are the merchant's 
best and surest customers, and whose annual consump- 
tion, reckoning one year with another, so little varies, 
that a careful trader might calculate to within a few 
pounds' weight, the exact annual demand for indigo of 
any given village in Syria, and accordingly carry on a 
safe and profitable trade in this one article alone. These 
dyers usually marry, and are given in marriage amongst 
themselves, and the children are brought up to the 
trade of their fathers ; but in all other respects, they 
are the same as the rest of the Greek community, 
attending regularly at their churches, strict observers of 
fasts and festivals, and mingling freely with all their 
fellow citizens, of whatever creed or calling. 

Next to these comes the sedate Armenian, clad in a 
sombre grey cloak, trimmed with ermine, and a slovenly 
black handkerchief bound round his almost threadbare 
gibbeh ; he is walking with a countryman, and a fellow 
creedsman of his own; and though the latter is the 
better clad and cleanlier looking, he is far from being 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



305 



the wealthier; they are both, however, on the same 
intimate footing as though equals in birth, riches, and 
station ; both out more for exercise and to talk about 
business, than from any wish to join in the recreations 
that are passing around them. The first man — the 
meaner looking of the two — is very possibly possessor 
of about 20,000 piastres ; he is a banker of the Pachalik, 
and right-hand man of all the Pachas who come into 
power ; from them he derives no small profit, but it is 
not from this source alone that his revenues flow ; even 
the poor man who is now his companion, is one among 
the many of his countrymen, who pay into his coffers 
an annual tax on certain stipulated conditions. In 
Aleppo, and all over Turkey and Syria, almost every 
cook in European and wealthy Oriental families, is an 
Armenian; these Armenians come from their own 
country in search of employment, and on arriving at 
Aleppo, being friendless, and without any recommend- 
ation as to character, etc., they seek out those who 
profess the same creed as themselves, and by them 
are introduced to the protection of a banker, who will 
guarantee their honesty, provided the man pays him an 
annual per-centage upon his wages. This is agreed to, 
and a compact being made, the sarraff himself exerts his 
best influence amongst the circles of his acquaintance to 
obtain for his protegee a situation in an opulent family. 
As the English are invariably the best pay -masters, he 
first tries them ; if he succeed, the young man is placed 
under the tuition of a professed cook of his own creed, 
and his career in life commences. The banker adds 
the man's name to the thick folio volume, in which he 
has already registered those of the numerous tax-payers 
that help to enrich his coffers; and though, on an 
average one with the other, they only pay about twenty 



306 



THE THISTLE AND 



piastres per annum, still, considering the vast numbers 
who are under this obligation, the total amount derived 
from this source makes a considerable sum. On the 
other hand the banker, who possesses a certain extent of 
influence with the Pachas, stands by his countrymen in 
any case of emergency, and if needs must, is ready to 
advance any money to procure the release of a delinquent, 
or to help in his flight, as the Armenians are extremely 
jealous of their character for honesty and integrity, and 
it may with truth be observed, that with very few 
exceptions, they make excellent servants — faithful, 
steady, and industrious, and are seldom, if ever, addicted 
to liquor ; if they do cheat their own masters, they take 
care that no one else in the household shall. And this 
is a notorious fact, particularly in Aleppo, that the 
prices of meat and vegetables, etc., are fixed by a tariff 
every year amongst the Armenian servants, and as their 
name is legion, and every second family has an Arme- 
nian cook, the greater mass of the people usually pay at 
the same rate or proportion for their provisions, though 
it is well-known that the poorer classes obtain the 
same supplies from the very same tradesmen with whom 
the wealthier families deal, at a lower price ; still, for 
convenience' sake, these peccadilloes are winked at, and 
the Armenians justify their petty thefts, and accommo- 
date their consciences to their perpetration, by the 
reflection, that if they did not cheat, others would, and 
thus further encourage dishonesty amongst the rest of 
the servants. 

The Armenians have passed by, and another couple 
of individuals attract our atention ; their faces are long 
and sallow, their features marked, eyes sunken, beard 
profuse, and in the contracted brow there is much that 
indicates selfish thoughts ; the meanness of their scant 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



307 



attire, is only to be surpassed by the filthiness of their 
general appearance. Did you notice yonder young 
Mahommedan spit on the ground, or in the faces of 
these two as they passed him, while he petulantly mut- 
tered, that this day would prove to him an unlucky one, 
from the moment he had encountered these two men ? 
You will ask the reason of this ; it is because they are 
of that once mighty people, Yahoodee, or Israel, whom 
Mahommedans regard as the cursed of God, the refuse 
of the earth, who are treated with less consideration 
than the meagre curs that slink along the streets ; for a 
Jew does not dare to pass by on the right hand of the 
Moslem. Yet these Hebrews are now so well inured 
to hardship and insult, that they wisely pursue their 
way, regardless of all around, their whole soul wrapt up 
in the one absorbing thought — gain. If words and 
blows are sometimes inflicted upon them by the lords of 
the land, they at least have the gratification of knowing 
that there is not one amongst their brethren, but who 
avails himself of every opportunity to swindle and 
defraud every customer with whom they may chance to 
have transactions; and even the coins which pass 
through their hands never escape without being dimi- 
nished in weight. As an instance of their innate 
propensity for defrauding, I will record an anecdote 
which occurred at Damascus some years ago. A Jew 
having been convicted of coining saadeeyeh (9 piastres), 
was punished by the government by having half his 
beard shaved off, and mounted on an ass, with his face 
turned towards the tail, and a European hat on his 
head ; in this way he was conducted through the city, 
preceded by a crier, proclaiming his crime. Through 
bribery and interest he was set at liberty, and shortly 
afterwards recommenced his nefarious practices ; the 



308 



THE THISTLE AND 



second time, however, lie resorted to the filing of coin, 
and being again discovered, the Cadi ordered his hands 
to be cut off, as the most effectual means of preventing 
a recurrence of such tricks. Even this did not put a 
stop to his cheating, for having initiated his son into 
his arts, they together devised the mode of dissolving a 
part of the money in strong acid. Being for the third 
time discovered, both father and son were hanged. 

The very name Yahoodee, or Jew, is tantamount in 
the East to swindler. Yet it is a most remarkable fact, 
that fallen and degraded though the race be — their 
position only equivalent to a state of perpetual serfdom 
— you never meet with a Jew who gains his liveli- 
hood by manual labor, or by begging for his bread. 
They neither till the ground, nor follow the plough, nor 
yet exercise themselves in any agricultural pm^saits; 
neither are there amongst them day-labourers, or 
mechanics ; and all this arises from the species of 
Freemasonry which links these fallen people together, 
and induces them to assist and support one another in 
times of the greatest need and difnculty. Hence it 
arises that every Jew, from an early age is, as it were, 
launched into the world by the assistance of his co- 
religionists. They usually begin life in the pastry-cook 
line ; for to sell fruits, would be like carrying coals to 
Newcastle, in such a country as Syria, where every man 
has his own garden, or, if he be not possessed of this, 
the markets are stocked to overflowing. After this, 
they become petty tradesmen, and with a stock-in-trade 
of some half-dozen loaves of sugar, a few pounds of 
coffee, spices, etc., the whole perhaps not exceeding 
three or four hundred piastres, he migrates to the sur- 
rounding villages, barters or sells, comes back again and 
replenishes his stock, and so goes on adding mite to 



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309 



mite rill lie is enabled to set up a Dekkan in the bazaar. 
Having commenced to turn the wheel of fortune, he 
climbs up warily, and it may be slowly, yet securely, to 
an ample independence for his old age j and there are 
many very wealthy Hebrew families in Syria, whose 
origin might be traced to such as I haye just described. 
When a Jew has once amassed wealth, it seldom if ever 
happens that he falls low in the scale again. 

In later years, the condition of this persecuted people 
has been much improved in the Ottoman dominions, and 
they may be now said to enjoy all those advantages 
and privileges which are offered to other foreigners 
residing within the limits of the Turkish dominions; 
hence, it is to be hoped, if we may be permitted to judge 
by the signs of the times, that the day is not far off 
when they will be again restored to their land, and when 
in the words of the prophet, it may be said, " They shall 
be my people, and I will be their God:' ' But these privileges 
have not always been enjoyed by this unhappy people ; 
not more than twenty years ago the barbarities practised 
upon them seem almost incredible. A friend told 
me of an incident that occurred in Servia when a famine, 
or a pestilence, had ceased to ravage the country, there 
was a grand procession and thanksgiving, and in the 
edict of the Governor, it was not only proclaimed, but 
carried into execution, that at every quarter of a mile a 
donkey and a Jew should be sacrificed; thus classing 
them together, and ruthlessly shedding the blood of two 
of the most unoffending creatines of the Creator. But 
the Jews and their sorrows and persecutions are, I trust, 
passing by, as a firman has lately been obtained from 
the Turkish government, through the influence of 
Sir M. Montetiore, which secures the Jews like privi- 
leges with the Christians : this boon was presented to 



310 



THE THISTLE AND 



them by Col. Churchill, who, in 1841, during his official 
residence in Damascus, exerted himself strenuously and 
successfully to relieve them from the consequences of 
the persecution they had undergone in the well known 
affair of Padre Thomaso. 

And now comes a stately horseman, whose very steed 
seems to paw the ground more proudly than others, as 
though conscious of the fact that he carries on his back 
one of the lords of the land. This is a Turkish Effendi, 
his long loose cloth cloak is thickly trimmed with 
ermine ; his horse-trappings are magnificent — his coun- 
tenance full of importance and gravity — his beard black, 
and wagging to and fro in a haughty commanding style ; 
he looks neither to the right nor to the left — acknow- 
ledges no salutations, though the people rise as he 
passes, and bow their heads subserviently to the earth ; 
behind him rides a gaily dressed youth, carrying in his 
hand the ready lit chibuk ; look at the amber mouth- 
piece, richly set with brilliants and emeralds, and then 
you may form some conception of the importance and 
wealth of this great functionary. The occupations of 
the Turks are various, for being lords of the land they, 
and they alone, in most parts of the country, occupy the 
posts of Government. Amongst them, we may first rank 
the independent beys and effendis— nobles of the land, 
wealthy from inheritance, and most generally possessed of 
extensive gardens and plantations, these are the aristo- 
cracy — they have no cares as to how they shall live — no 
thought as to their sustenance — their mansions are 
capacious — their studs splendid — their repasts sump- 
tuous — their harems filled with the choicest flowers of 
Georgia and Circassia. They regularly attend the 
Mosques, and keep their fasts and festivals, and if 
they have anything to trouble their minds, it most 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



311 



assuredly arises from a similar inconvenience to that 
which the fool in the Scriptures was exposed— viz., the 
want of extensive granaries wherein to warehouse their 
fast increasing riches. Next to these we may reckon 
Government employ es, who, though virtually invested 
with greater authority than these beys (who hold no 
official position) , in reality are subjected to their whims 
and caprices. Of this class are the Pachas, Cadis, etc., 
etc., — men who are generally well off so long as they 
remain in office, but whose position would be very 
dubious indeed were they once deprived of their main 
staff in life — their salaries. 

The rest of the Moslem population may be divided 
into three classes, viz., merchants, tradesmen, and 
household domestics; the latter, if they be Mahom- 
medans, will seldom serve the native Christians, though 
they will sometimes place themselves under European 
masters in order to be protected from taxation, or being 
enlisted into the army. Of the former, from the time 
of the Caliphs, Turkey has been celebrated for the 
wealth of her merchants, and for their upright, honest 
method of transacting business. However, though the 
uprightness of the old Mahommedan merchant remains, 
his wealth is on the decline, and is passing into Christian 
hands. Most of the opulent merchants of Baghdad 
are Moslems who, regularly once a year subject them- 
selves to a long and inconvenient journey to Aleppo, 
and return so as to superintend and watch over their 
own interests ; and like the old tales of the Arabian 
Nights, rich scented spices spread their odour over the 
desert far and wide. Besides these, other merchants 
from Mecca turn a devout pilgrimage into a mercantile 
transaction, and carry back with them many rare 
articles — otto of roses, and other scents, which usually 



312 



THE THISTLE AND 



attract a multitude of eager purchasers. The trades 
followed by most Mahommedans, are those of car- 
penters^ locksmiths, tanners, shoemakers, sawyers, 
saddlers, and saddle embroiderers. Of these, the sad- 
dlers and the shoemakers rank first. The carpenters 
are expert tradesmen,, and Damascus abounds with 
turners, known to bring work to a highly finished state. 

And now these too have passed before us, and a fresh 
sight attracts attention. Fierce-looking fellows, three 
in number, now appear, their heads girt with long 
flowing silk handkerchiefs, of a bright yellow colour; 
their beards are thick, black, and curly ; their features 
sun-burnt ; their eyebrows knit, and there is a lurking 
savage look in their eyes which speaks volumes of 
treachery and bloodshed. Long loose striped dresses 
with horse-hair girths, loose shintians, and the ordinary 
Syrian red boots, complete their costume. They are 
mounted on Arab steeds of the purest breed ; slung by 
their left side is a scimitar of fine Damascene steel ; 
each carries on his shoulder a long polished Roomah, 
or lance, from which hang tassels of various gay colors. 
These horsemen are Bedouins of the Desert, who, 
perhaps, have come hither to spy out the land under 
the pretence of a friendly visit on mercantile business ; 
but what is more likely to be the reason, to find out 
when next a caravan, or travellers, will pass through the 
desert. No one fears them now, since their number is 
too small, when compared to the crowds which are on 
the alert and passing to and fro. Still, these Bedouins 
may even at this very moment be plotting a similar 
carnage and attack to that which was made at Aleppo, 
so recently as 1850. Notwithstanding the ferocity of 
their nature, u their hand still being against every man," 
yet they never are guilty of a breach of faith or friend- 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



313 



ship. As an instance of this, an Arab was once at 
Damascus, and received civilities from a Damascene, 
who gave him some bread and tobacco. About two 
years passed, when it so happened that this man was 
going to Aleppo with a caravan, which was attacked, 
and happily for all, the traveller was recognised by one 
of the Bedouins, who proved to be the very man who 
had received hospitality at Damascus. 

Next on our panoramic sketch we find two hardy 
labourers, fine robust looking men ; these are the 
fellahen, and their vocation in life is restricted to 
tilling the ground ; but there are some amongst them 
who follow the occupation of farriers, and some few in 
the larger towns are blacksmiths, tinkers, and shop- 
keepers, but those that occupy our attention at present, 
wear too healthy an aspect to be taken for citizens. 
They are peasants from a neighbouring village, and to 
them Sunday is a day of rest, and a great boon indeed ; 
during the week days they are early risers (up with the 
lark, and even before this " bird hath shaken the dew-drop 
from her wing") ; to them sleep has been a boon indeed — 
a luxury that few who are not accustomed to hard 
manual labour can be supposed to enjoy. The careful 
thrifty wife, although her husband is an early riser, was 
up before him, lighting the fire, and preparing his 
early meal. He gets up, and goes through his ablutions; 
and I may here remark, that Europeans in general, and 
especially the English, form a very incorrect notion as to 
the habits of the poorer class of natives in Syria, since 
few people are more careful in their rigid adherence to 
cleanliness, though their brown sun-burnt skin gives 
strangers an idea to the contrary. His breakfast con- 
sists of a few loaves, resembling Scotch cakes, on which 
cheese, and on fast days olives, mashed together are 

p 



314 



THE THISTLE AND 



carefully rolled up ; sometimes, as an extra dainty, a 
little cold stew from Tester day's dinner, or a small dish 
of Leban, gives a relish, to his keen appetite j and having 
finished this he shoulders his plough, loosens his cattle, 
and followed close at the heels by his house dog ; goes 
forth to his labour till evening. He has generally 
arrived at the field of action before the sun gets up to 
look at him, and he never leaves it till the fiery sun, red 
with heat, has sunk below the horizon. Truly, a labourer 
in Syria is a living specimen of the curse brought upon 
mankind by the disobedience of Adam — " He earns his 
daily bread by the sweat of his brow." Every day, save on 
fasts and festivals, his toil never ceases. At the com- 
mencement of the year, his first and most laborious 
occupation is that of rearing silk-worms, of which 
I shall now proceed to give a description. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



315 



CHAPTER XIX. 

THE OCCUPATIONS OF THE PEOPLE. 



It is early in spring. The snow that last week lay ancle 
deep in the plains and valleys of Mount Lebanon, has 
rapidly dissolved under the genial heat of the April sun. 
Storms that wildly raged along the sea-girt coast, out- 
riders of iEolus, as he swept by in his hurricane-car, 
drawn by equinoctial gales ; these have been lulled into 
repose, and the turbulent billows of the deep have 
forgotten their rough playmate, and are hushed into 
tranquillity. The winter garb of the forest is fast being 
set aside ; the waters of the river flow pleasantly in the 
warm glow of sunshine ; feathered songsters are tuning 
up against the great spring jubilee ; the linnet and the 
bulbul now call to mind snatches of sweet carols many 
months forgotten j nature awakes to the bright morning 
of the year ; with light heart the bee sucks from early 
opening flowers; with the passing song, the peasant 
trudges forward to his daily labour ; oxen are yoked 
to the plough i the earth — drunk with excessive moisture 
— yields readily to the deep furrows made by the friendly 
implement; long hidden seeds are turned up to the 
light of day, and brought forth from nature's store- 
house to supply the wants of the hungry feathered 
multitude ; grass springs up almost perceptibly beneath 
our feet ; the swallow has returned from his distant 



316 



THE THISTLE AND 



journeyings, and brought with him a retinue of gaily 
dressed butterflies. The sun grows warmer from day 
to day ; the sky remains clear and cloudless ; the first 
week of April has fled on the rapid wings of time, and 
we are fairly launched into all the delights of an incom- 
parable Syrian spring — hie we forth early on the morrow 
to breathe the pure untainted air — to revel in the sweet 
odours wafted around us from countless flowers — to 
watch the master-touch of that great and beneficent 
Creator, who has left no work unfinished. Manifold 
indeed are His works, and in wisdom has He made 
them all. 

The morrow has come, we are up and abroad before the 
sun has cast his first mantle of light over the pleasant 
waters of the deep blue sea. We saunter into one of the 
many white mulberry plantations that surround us on 
every side, and observe that the leafless boughs are only 
just putting forth their tender spring buds : yet there is an 
unusual commotion amongst the rearers of the silk- 
worm — whole families, men, women, and children, are 
variously employed ; the earth round the roots of the 
mulberry trees is being hoed up; some are planting 
young shoots, others busy in the kitchen gardens ; whilst, 
to the European eye, a few appear as though engaged in a 
mysterious occupation. They seem as if their arms 
were an inconvenience to them, or, perhaps what is 
more of a simile, as though they were all afflicted with 
boils or eruptions under their arms, which preclude the 
possibility of using them without intense pain and 
difficulty. The singular attitude of these people, as they 
move about like so many brood-hens with anxiously 
expanded wings, once attracted the attention of an 
English medical officer, who assured me, with great 
alarm depicted in his countenance, that tumours under 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



317 



the arm-pits are certain indications of the plague, and 
he immediately recommended our instant departure from 
the neighbourhood; whilst uncertain what course to 
pursue, one of the men thrust his hand into his bosom, 
and extracted the immediate cause of my friend's alarm ; 
this proved to be a small bag of silk-worm eggs, and 
as this remainder of his stock has been late in hatching, 
the peasant resorted to artificial means, and the heat of 
his body is usually productive of beneficial effects. 
However, in some parts of Syria the eggs are deposited 
in moderately warm rooms, which speedily bring forth 
the embryo worm. Wonderful to say, these eggs, which 
have been suspended in linen bags throughout the whole 
year; during the heat of summer, the mild autumn, 
and the cold of winter — on which temperature has pro- 
duced no effect — now that the right season has arrived, 
issue forth from the diminutive eggs, just as the mul- 
berry first puts forth its delicate foliage, so well adapted 
to the weak state of the microscopic worm. Insects now 
creep round the bag that had confined them as eggs, and 
the peasant, who has been anxiously watching them for 
the last week, welcomes their appearance with infinite 
satisfaction, as sure harbingers of spring ; and, as on 
the produce of the silk season, the fellah and his family 
depend in a great measure for their maintenance, the 
different processes are watched by them with great 
anxiety. Now let us attend from day to day, and watch 
the progress of these tiny millions as they advance in 
growth, and finally spin round themselves that mar- 
vellous small store-house of silk, commonly designated 
as the cocoon. 

The first steps taken by the peasants after the eggs 
are hatched, is to place some of the minute worms in 
the centre of small circular baskets, which have been 



318 



THE THISTLE AND 



carefully cemented over with cow-dung, and left in a 
sunny spot till completely dry ; this precaution is indis- 
pensable, because the worms are so diminutive that, 
however closely wrought may be the workmanship of 
the basket, they would inevitably fall through, and be 
destroyed or lost. The reason also for having the cow- 
dung is, that the cow is held in great esteem amongst 
most Oriental silk-worm breeders ; and a superstitious 
idea prevails, that this animal has a sacred charm, and 
they therefore imagine that by covering the baskets 
with cow-dung, it will have some power over the worms. 
In this primitive condition, a handful of the tender 
leaves of the mulberry is plucked, and cut up similarly 
to tobacco, and then sprinkled over the young brood. 
This process is repeated twice daily, and suffices for the 
food of numerous caterpillars during the first days of 
their existence. Their growth is very rapid, and their 
appetite ravenous ; and though tended each day with 
the utmost solicitude, it is by no means certain that one- 
half of the immense numbers contained in these baskets 
will arrive at perfection. Hundreds are trodden to 
death by their companions ; scores of brave young worms 
perish beneath the weight of some slender mulberry 
twig, the size of which, though small indeed, is, in com- 
parison to them, like a huge tree ; besides these calami- 
ties, the worms are entirely at the mercy of the weather. 
In some parts of Syria, nature takes a freak into 
her head, and in the midst of sunshine and warmth, 
down comes a tremendous hail-stone shower or snow 
storm — then farewell to the worms and the poor peasant's 
prospects ; his only chance is, to send immediately to 
the mountain plantations, whose colder climate has 
retarded the hatching of the egg, and here, at great 
expense purchase a second supply of " silk- worm seed," 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



319 



(as it is technically called by us), and then the crop is 
entirely artificial, for the leaves have attained too coarse 
a texture, and the peasant is compelled to chop them up 
into minute particles before he durst administer them 
to the feeble and delicate insects. There are two other 
enemies from which the insect has to be guarded : 
during its first week's growth, it is extremely liable to 
be beset by red ants ; and during the spinning, or last 
week of its existence as a worm, the swallow and the 
sparrow think it a delicacy wherewith to feed their 
newly hatched progeny, and great havoc is sometimes 
committed by these swift-winged depredators. Yet, 
notwithstanding all these drawbacks, so careful are the 
peasants, that every precaution has been taken long 
before the season arrives, to guard against any and all 
of these foes ; and it may be accurately observed, that 
bad crops and unlucky seasons are the exceptions to a 
general rule. One year with another, he generally 
obtains, within a few drachmas, the quantity of silk he has 
reckoned upon, and he is usually pretty sure as to the 
amount of money he hopes to gain, as this has most 
commonly been agreed upon many months past, and 
the peasant has already received some portion of the 
fixed valuation in advance. 

The first week of our watching has expired; the 
worms have increased. These little creatures, which 
occupied but a very small spot in the centre of the 
baskets, have now become so bulky, that they can no 
longer find space sufficient to crawl about without 
destruction to each other ; consequently they have now 
to be removed to the hoosse, or cottages, erected pur- 
posely for their rearing, and they are no sooner placed 
here than the laborious part of the peasants' business 
commences. Heretofore his wife and children have 



320 



THE THISTLE AND 



chiefly occupied themselves in supplying the frugal 
wants of the colony of young insects, and they had 
nothing else to do but to strip the smaller branches 
and twigs of the tender leaves ; now, however, the 
worms, which are growing and thriving, require five 
times as much attention and food as before, conse- 
quently, the good man of the house and his son (if he 
has one), take the responsibility upon their shoulders 
the moment the worms become inmates of the hoosse, 
where they are generally installed with much ceremony ; 
the priest repeats a benediction, and sprinkles holy 
water where the worms are to be placed. 

We will follow the silk cultivator and his family, as 
they carry the small baskets containing the worms into 
the hoosse, which is a large hut with a peat roof ; the 
walls are composed of reeds, platted like mats, with 
small partitions on every side. The building, which has 
been newly done up, is daily inspected, to prevent birds 
from taking up their abode amongst the straw and 
rushes of which it is composed; the interior of the 
kohs is fitted up with shelves, formed with canes, on 
which are laid closely -worked long and narrow mats, 
woven of reeds. These extend round three sides of the 
nurseries, and are placed one above another, with an 
intervening space between each shelf of about twenty 
inches. On these mats a thick layer of mulberry leaves 
is laid among the insects ; the baskets containing the 
worms are moved carefully on the mats, instinct lead- 
ing them to the freshest leaves ; meanwhile, the peasant 
and his family are busily repeating prayers for a blessing 
on their undertakings, at the same time mixing the 
grossest and most absurd superstitions with their simple 
prayers. Pieces of red cloth rags, or other dazzling 
colors, together with a shell of a hen's egg, ornamented 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



321 



with a red silk tassel and blue beads, are attached to the 
poles that support the hoosse, and every other imaginable 
part of the building where they are likely to meet the 
eye and attract attention. This is to divert the stranger 
from allowing his thoughts to be wholly occupied with 
the worms, or from gazing on them uninterruptedly : 
such an offence would be sure to be productive of the 
" evil eye." Indeed so great is the superstition of these 
poor ignorant peasants, and their dread of the baneful 
influence of this imaginary being, that they seldom have 
a child, cattle, or possess cocks and hens, or even trees 
upon which they place any value, without affixing to them 
a bunch of coloured rags, with a blue ring made of com- 
mon glass, for say they, " those that have such things 
will be influenced by the venom of envy; and the 
venom of envy shooting out of the eyes will blight the 
object of our desire, as hghtning blasts the tree." So 
much for this absurd and ridiculous notion. Another 
formula gone through, is the tying small skeins of last 
year's silk in various positions over the silkworms; this 
is to excite them to industry, and to shame such as are 
slothful, by shewing them the remnants of the riches 
and skill of their ancestors. 

We have seen the silkworms duly installed in the 
hoosse, and retire to the music of their active mastication 
of the leaves, to return again on the morrow and see 
how things thrive. 

To the surprise of my European friend, on entering 
the hoosse on the morrow, he found all solemn silence ; 
on examining the shelves, he thought that the worms 
were all dead and gone. While he was regretting the 
heavy loss which would fall upon the cultivators, I 
smiled at his ignorance, and assured him that the worms 
were never more healthy than at the present moment, 

p 5 



322 



THE THISTLE AND 



(the peasant adding in a whisper) , i( they are all good 
Christians of the Greek faith, and arc keeping a three days 1 
rigid fast. And this is firmly believed by him and his 
family, and is the prevalent notion in Syria. At such 
periods as the present, when the worms are in a state of 
torpor, owing to their rapid growth, which compels them 
at certain intervals to disembarrass themselves of the 
tight old skin, which being too small gradually bursts, 
and a fresh skin is formed, suitable to the increased size 
of the insect. At such periods the natives, from the 
highest to the lowest, priest and laymen, acknowledge 
the worms to be keeping a Soame, the Arabic term for 
fasts. 

The third morning after our last visit we call again, 
and find the newly clad worms rapidly awaking to the 
sense of a keen appetite, glistening and shining like 
bridesmaids in their beautiful new white satin costumes. 
This process of shedding the skin, is evidently attended 
with danger to the silk-worm, if we may be permitted 
to judge from the number that have died under the 
process, whilst others, though surviving, have been so 
disfigured as to be rendered entirely useless. The 
peasant and his family are occupied collecting the dead 
and the maimed before feeding the hungry survivors ; 
this finished, he arms himself with a sharp sickle; 
henceforth the leaves are no more gathered by the 
hands — trees are marked out in regular rotation— the 
smaller branches are cut off, which are then carried by 
the woman and children to a clean swept place in front 
of the hoosse; the leaves, and even smaller twigs, are 
speedily separated from the branches, and sprinkled 
plentifully over the worms ; the branches are collected 
up on one side, and left to dry for future use as fuel ; 
thus, whilst the foliage of the mulberry nourishes and 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



323 



maintains life in the silk-worm, the branches are used 
to light the fire which suffocates the poor creatures 
when they have formed the cocoon, and assumed the 
chrysalis state. After this first soame, or fast, the worms 
grow very rapidly ; in about a fortnight afterwards, they 
undergo the second fast — they are now, however, much 
stronger, and better able to resist the casting of their 
skins.; so much so, that scarcely one dies under the 
operation. On recovering from the second soame, they 
eat prodigiously, and grow very rapidly. The peasant 
is compelled to cut the branches off the mulberry three 
times a day, in lieu of once, as heretofore, and the 
worms feast without intermission, morning, noon and 
night ; at length, in about eight weeks from the time 
they were hatched, their existence as worms is rapidly 
drawing to a close. What was at first barely the size 
of a grain of fine gunpowder, is now between three and 
four inches long, sleek and fat, and for all the world 
looking like a young roasting lamb of Lilliputian breed, 
ready trussed up for cooking. 

All the mulberry trees in the plantation, with the 
exception of some six or a dozen, present the lamentable 
spectacle of so many boughless stems ; whilst nature 
around is profuse in luxuriance, and the wild convolvolus, 
as though compassionating the sad condition of the 
mulberry, twists its friendly leaves around, and decks it 
with gaudy blossoms of the early May morning. The 
peasant has been busy cutting down boughs of trees, 
etc.; these have been exposed to the sun, till all the 
leaves have withered and fallen to the ground. The 
worm which, by a wonderful instinct, has heretofore 
never strayed seven inches from where it was originally 
placed, now begins to evince symptoms of impatience, 
and roves about the edges of the shelves, or tries to 



324 



THE THISTLE AND 



mount up the smooth and slippery canes that support 
the shelves. The peasant marking these indications, 
immediately places the dry twigs of thorn and bushes 
over the worms, and in a short time the whole colony 
rapidly mounts amongst these twigs, each choosing out 
for itself some favourable position, where it may with 
greater facility weave its costly and wonderful web. 
And now we stand silently, and watch the indefatigable 
little creature silently persevering in completing its own 
little storehouse, and what will prove to be its own little 
tomb. No machinery could be more exact than the 
movements of this small insect, as it carefully draws out 
of its mouth thread after thread, now moving with its 
head to the right, and carrying the almost invisible web 
down to its tail, then turning its head in the opposite 
direction, apparently for the purpose of drawing the 
silk from where it had been fastened on one side, till it 
has carefully drawn it over its own head, and secured it 
with gummy saliva. We quit the worms at mid-day, 
when barely a thread of this wonderful substance is as 
yet visible ; we return early the next day, and the 
cocoon is formed, but it is yet too tender to be touched. 
The peasant merely contents himself with observing the 
shape and color of these cocoons — setting much store 
on such as are of a yellow brown tinge, small, with a 
belt in the centre. Some of the cocoons are as white 
as snow, some yellow, some brown. The peasant now 
reports the condition of the silk- worms to his master, who 
immediately places his seal on the door of the hoosse. 

When they are considered fit to reel off the silk, he 
has the old oven to put in repair, to inspect the basin 
on the top of this altar-shaped furnace, to erect the old 
wheel, which has laid on the dust-heap ever since last 
year — drive a nail in here — put a new spoke in there ; 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



325 



and when all is completed, and ready for immediate use, 
the peasant's wife goes early on the morning of the 
auspicious day, and carries in her hand a morsel of damp 
clay, this she flings against the door-post of the master's 
house, if it adheres, then luck will attend the season, if, 
on the contrary, it drops off, the silk will be unsaleable. 
This is not the last superstitious ceremony observed ; 
early that morning, about an hour after sunrise, the 
master of the plantation, followed by the peasant, and 
all his family, march in regular procession to the hoosse, 
the great man carrying under his arm a bundle of 
handkerchiefs, and other trifles, to distribute as presents 
amongst his followers; these are duly distributed on 
reaching the sheds ; every one says a blessing on that 
day's undertaking, the door is unsealed, the people rush 
in, and rapidly empty the hoosse of the twigs and 
branches on which the cocoons have settled ; these are 
piled up outside of the door, the women and* children 
spread mats on the ground ; here seated, they detach 
the cocoons from the twigs, and the peasants, as the 
mats get overloaded, gather the cocoons into a goodly - 
sized basket ; by nightfall this operation has been con- 
cluded ; they then separate from the mass some two or 
three hundred of the very best cocoons, which are set 
aside to breed from. Next day, the first streak of dawn 
has barely lit up the East, before the busy peasants are 
up and doing. " The cocoon cleaners" are occupied in 
picking them ; that is, detaching from the hard shell 
the soft downy substance, which afterwards constitutes 
what is termed the rough silk. The peasant, meanwhile, 
has lit the furnace ; the water in the boiler is wrought 
to a proper temperature for reeling the silk. An old 
man busies himself in bringing bundles of faggots from 
the large pile of mulberry branches, with which to keep 



326 



THE THISTLE .AND 



the fire alive. Baskets of picked cocoons are placed 
beside the peasant who, seated on a stool, chooses from 
these a dozen or fourteen at a time, while a man or a 
boy turns the handle of the large wheel ; the cocoons 
are thrown into the warm water, and well whipped with 
switches, till the whole surface becomes frothy, and the 
threads of the cocoons begin to detach themselves. 
Seizing these, the peasant skilfully draws them up, 
gradually using more strength, till he has sufficient 
length of thread to fasten to a peg in the wheel. The 
party at the wheel commences turning with all his 
force ; the wheel goes round rapidly ; the peasant is 
ever on the watch, knotting broken threads, supplying 
the place of empty shells by fresh cocoons, or screaming 
to his attendant for more fire or more water. So passes 
the day. Evening arrives, and there is a large heap of 
empty cocoons, in which, however, the dead worms still 
remain ; *and on the wheel, which was bare in the 
morning, there is a fine thick golden-looking skein of 
of silk, weighing some four or five pounds. This pri- 
mitive style of reeling is of course detrimental to the 
quality of the silk, and is a frightfully slow method 
compared to European factories, which I have visited. 
When the peasant discovers that he has more cocoons 
than he can possibly reel off within a given time, he 
stifles them by exposing them to great heat, a process 
by which the quantity of silk they yield is greatly 
diminished ; but as the cocoon fly, i.e., the moth, comes 
out within three weeks, this stifling is indispensable, as 
the cocoon (except for rough silk) is wholly unfit for 
use when once it has been perforated by the moth. 

About two weeks have passed since first the cocoon 
commenced to be reeled ; the silk is now ready for the 
market, and is hanging out in golden festoons to dry 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



327 



thoroughly before it is packed. The old baskets are 
once again brought into play, but they are this time all 
alive with fluttering white velvet-like moths ; they never 
fly. Their enjoyment of life is very brief indeed; the 
male moth dies within twenty hours of its birth ; the 
female is then placed on fine linen rags, where, in the 
course of the day it will deposit from 100 to 500 eggs, 
which are left in the air for a short time, and then 
put into linen bags and hung from the beam in the 
centre of the house, or sent to the mountain to await 
another year. The silk season ends just as the heat 
of June sets in. 

Having watched the whole process of the fellah 
throughout the silk season, we will continue to follow 
him to the close of the year. The silk being stored 
away, and provision made for the future brood of worms, 
I will call my reader's attention to the wheat harvest. 
The labors of the peasantry will now be of a severer 
nature than hitherto ; he has to toil under the scorching 
rays of the sun, whose beams at least in some parts of 
Syria and Palestine, are far more powerful than those ever 
endured by English reapers ; consequently the fellah is 
compelled to desist from his occupation from mid- day 
till about two o' clock in the afternoon. During this por- 
tion of the day, scarcely a breath of air stirs, not a leaf 
is ruftled ; even the many colored and beautiful butter- 
flies lazily flutter from flower to flower seeking shade 
beneath the petals of the Damascene rose ; all is per- 
fectly still, and the peasants take their wonted siesta. 
However great may be the inconvenience of the intense 
heat, yet it is wholly balanced by the benefits which 
accrue from the excellent climate with which this 
country is blest. The farmer in Syria has no cause of 
apprehension from sudden storms or showers, so that 



328 



THE THISTLE AND 



the harvest is gathered in, receiving no injury from 
changes of weather, to which it is subject in less genial 
latitudes. The corn being reaped by the fellahs, the 
damsels, even as in the time of Ruth, follow, gathering 
the ears and binding them in sheaves ; after leaving 
them for a short time to dry, they are carried to a part 
of the field called baiedar, which has been levelled and 
swept clear to receive them. A rude machine, con- 
structed of oaken planks with stones fixed in holes 
drilled on the under side, is placed on the now scattered 
sheaves ; on this a youth sits or stands to drive the 
oxen round and round, which have been harnessed to it. 
This process separates the grain from the husk ; it has 
next to be winnowed, and for this purpose is collected in 
heaps ; the corn, by means of a wooden shovel, is thrown 
up in the air, when the delightful and cool breezes of 
evening waft the chaff to the winds. The reaping, 
threshing, and winnowing, being now completed, the 
wheat intended for domestic consumption, is stored in 
wells, constructed expressly for this purpose, whilst 
that which is for agricultural uses, is placed in enormous 
jars, of from five to fifteen feet in height, and of propor- 
tionate diameter. 

The peasant now receives from his master the portion 
due to him from the harvest; he then commences 
making one half of what he obtains into borghol. The 
weather is most favourable for this process, as it requires 
fine sunny days, and during the night the wheat is 
covered with sheets to protect it from the dew, which is 
very heavy in the East. The grain is first washed and 
boiled, when it is exposed for several days to dry on 
mats, before carrying it to the mill, where it is ground 
and thus converted into borghol. Of this there are two 
kinds, viz., coarse and fine ; this latter serves simply as 



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329 



a substitute for rice, and is called ruzz-mufalfal, whilst 
the other is used in kubbas, that favorite dish to which I 
have before alluded. The harvest is now over, and the 
vineyards in the surrounding mountains present a rich 
and beautiful sight ; the bright and luscious clusters of 
black and white grapes lie in profusion along the ground, 
for in Syria the vines are suffered to trail on the earth, 
and I am persuaded that were they trained as in the 
Ehenish vineyards, they would yield a more abundant 
crop. 

At this season of the year, the scene which is now 
presented is both picturesque, lovely, and interesting. 
Beneath a sky pure and bright, amidst the luxuriant 
and straggling vines, the damsels of Lebanon are busily 
occupied collecting the grapes. With what ease and 
elegance they move ! Their graceful forms are shewn 
to full advantage in their loose and flowing vesture 
the brilliant and well- selected shades of which con- 
trast beautifully with surrounding nature. Some are 
bringing baskets to be filled, whilst others are cutting 
the grapes and placing them in these panniers. The sun 
now begins to shed a deep red on the face of the western 
horizon, this is the signal to return home ; each one 
takes her basket, puts it on her head, or loads her 
donkey, and the gay cavalcade moves homewards, 
singing some plaintive ditty; and thus ends a day which 
I know many of my fair Western readers would be not a 
little interested to witness. On the following day, 
those which are not required by the villagers for their 
own wines, arraki or raisins, are carried to the market 
where they are sold. Even in the vineyards there 
remains enough to satisfy the weary traveller as he 
passes by, and to supply the feathered tribes, and the 
bees, that therefrom gather an abundant store of rich 



330 



THE THISTLE AND 



honey, either for hives, or, flying to far distant woods 
and meadows, make for themselves a secret nest amidst 
the fragrant herbs ; however, these hidden stores are 
soon tracked out and added to the simple repasts of 
our peasantry. Scarcely is the vintage over, when the 
olive plantations require attention. This is one of the 
most celebrated as well as useful of. all trees. The 
fruit is beaten from the tree in the same way as walnuts 
in England are thrashed in a green or unripe state, it is 
steeped in an alkaline ley, and then pickled in salt and 
water, and that it is much esteemed when thus preserved 
is well known. To procure the oil, the nearly ripe fruit 
is bruised by moderate pressure in a mill, when the oil 
flows out. This valuable article is used in almost every 
Syrian culinary preparation, and it is also applied for many 
medicinal purposes. Thus with the olive, meet emblem of 
peace, end the bright beams of this year's sun. Winter 
comes on with rapid strides ; the boughs so lately loaded 
with leaves, flowers, and lastly, with fruits, are daily 
losing their beautiful foliage; and chilling autumnal 
breezes coldly whisper through the leafless branches, 
and Lebanon grows dark till the pale snow covers its 
top, and reflects the last dying rays of the sun. The 
peasantry now gather their supplies of fuel, which the 
relentless winds tear from the' trees, scattering the 
earth with fragments of boughs, which however prove 
most acceptable to those who are in search of wood. 
And now the fellah and his cheerful family being 
furnished with fruits of all kinds, wine, honey, poultry 
and firing, and the numerous other et ceteras necessary 
to a Syrian household, fear nought for winds or storms ; 
nor are his cattle forgotten, his cow and treasured mare 
are both furnished with provender, much of which has 
been made from the refuse left by the silkworm of the 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



331 



mulberry leaves, the centre part of which, they could 
not devour ; these having been collected were made into 
stacks ready for winter. During the autumn, the cattle 
derive much nourishment from, the second crop which 
sprouts from the despoiled mulberry trees. The fellah's 
wants being thus well supplied, he fails not to acknow- 
ledge the blessing which he possesses, and exclaims, 
El-Hhamdvo li-Uah !" God be praised. 

The resources of Syria are inexhaustible if only pro- 
perly developed. The trade in wine may rival that of Spain, 
Portugal, or France ; the grapes are beautiful, and if they 
were only properly selected, and proper means taken to 
secure a good wine in this country, neither in Europe or 
Asia, is there greater facility for establishing an extensive 
and lucrative trade in this one department than in Syria 
and Palestine ? The fruits are delicious, and those grown 
in the open air and without any trouble, rival in flavour, 
quality, and quantity, those of any other country, where 
the greatest pains are taken and great expense incurred to 
accomplish this. Then, again, the articles of tobacco, 
wheat, wool, etc., and innumerable other articles ; mad- 
der root, the beautiful dyes of Syria (the Tyrian dye 
is not known now) ; one and all may, if properly cul- 
tivated and brought into the English market, rival its 
imports from all other parts of the world. The immense 
plains could, with very little outlay or labour, give us 
wheat and wool, indeed, supply all the world ; and Syria 
will, I hope, yet, at no remote period, become the 
granary of the west. 

The white wool of Scripture was up to a late period 
partially grown in the country around the Euphrates ; 
and, as is suggested by Dr. Thompson in the articles 
already adverted to in the Colonial and Asiatic Magazine, 



332 



THE THISTLE AND 



when an improved breed of sheep from English colonies, 
Spain, etc., shall be introduced into Syria, we may 
expect to supply with its resources the markets now 
chiefly furnished with wool from America, Australia, 
Germany, etc. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON, 



333 



CHAPTER XX. 

THE COMPARATIVE INFLUENCES OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC 
AND PROTESTANT FAITHS IN SYRIA. 

There is perhaps no country in the world which so 
much invites the attention of the Propaganda of Rome 
as Syria and the Holy Land. To possess a leading 
influence in its destinies, has ever been the ambition of 
the Pope. What could have been more iniquitous than 
the absurd pretensions of the Roman Catholics in the 
Jerusalem question? It may be necessary to go back 
a little and to acquaint the reader that France has 
for many years claimed a sort of protection over 
the Romish Chinches in Syria, and in periods of 
commotion in Mount Lebanon has exhibited the 
French colours from the convents, whilst all the 
appearance of stale protection from the propaganda 
has been kept up of late years, as must be well 
known in Europe. Thus a perpetual excitement is 
created in Mount Lebanon, the Roman Catholics looking 
to France, the Greeks to Russia, and the Druses to 
England. All this must be naturally displeasing to the 
Turkish government, and destructive to the country 
itself, whilst the agents of each of these parties are 
edging them on to perpetual outbreaks, and most 
disgraceful scenes are continually occurring at Jeru- 
salem, even around the sepulchre of our blessed Lord ; 
so that there is presented to Christendom the melan- 



334 



THE THISTLE AND 



choly spectacle, of Turkish soldiers called in to pre- 
vent Christians massacring one another. , To increase 
the confusion, the last French ambassador at the 
Porte, M. Lavalette, has demanded a renewal and ratifi- 
cation of some privileges stated to be the substance of 
an old treaty with France, and so far succeeded as to 
obtain a promise from the ex-minister, Rescind Pacha, 
to comply with his wishes. Pending the negociation, 
however, the French minister being absent for a time, 
Russia went to work and had this promise set aside. 
His excellency M. Lavalette, returning and finding this, 
prepared to stand to his colours, and brought the Char- 
lemagne man-of-war to sustain his demand. The grand 
vizier was called upon for an explanation, and as he 
could not defend his conduct, was dismissed from office, 
and the question thus remained in abeyance for months, 
but has now again been mooted. France has got a 
renewal of the original privilege, whilst Russia con- 
tinues obstinately to oppose these concessions. The 
question is thus still at issue, and it is difficult to say 
how, when, or where it will end, unless England, as the 
only power best suited to do so, mediate between 
such conflicting parties. At least such is my humble 
opinion. The Holy Sepulchre once exclusively in 
the possession of the Roman Catholics would indeed be 
a bright gem in the diadem of the Romish Church, the 
acme of their ambition, and a keystone to the hearts 
and affections of every Christian inhabitant in Syria ; 
but though they have as yet failed in this, they have 
many other strongholds and fastnesses in the land. 
Look at their convents at Carmel, Jaffa, Ramlah, Jeru- 
salem, Bethlehem, Sidon, Beyrout, Acre, Damascus, and 
Aleppo, and which are daily increasing. In these, and 
many other towns, they are the chief point of attraction 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



335 



to the weary wayfarers; to these they flock for rest 
and for sustenance — to these the sick betake them- 
selves for medical advice and medicine — and all is 
afforded them gratuitously. They have also schools 
for the instruction of children in Arabic, Italian, 
and French ; and though many poor members of the 
Greek Church would gladly abstain from sending their 
children to be under the tuition of the priests, did any 
other opportunity offer itself for their education, still, in 
many instances, they have now no alternative if at least 
they desire that their children should be instructed in the 
European languages. At the present day, the sea-coast 
towns of Syria are rising into such great importance 
from the rapidly increasing commerce with Great 
Britain and America, that to be possessed of a smat- 
tering of foreign languages is a source of revenue to 
the rising generation of Syria ; hence, all are desirous 
of obtaining this knowledge, and for the accomplish- 
ment of their desire, there is no choice left but to 
attend the Roman Catholic schools. 

There is, as I have already stated, an innate enmity 
between the Greeks and Latins in Syria — a deadly 
strife in a doctrinal point of view; still the young 
Syrians of the Greek persuasion, and even Moslems 
who, from self-interest, are prompted to attend daily to 
these Romish schools, are also compelled to submit to 
their rules; and the course of instruction there consists 
almost exclusively of books and lessons well adapted to 
impress upon the young imagination the doctrines and 
observances of that Church. What follows from this 
intercourse? The teacher begins to plot against the 
pupil ; he softens down difficulties ; he wins confidence 
by kind words, and occasionally by small gifts, whilst a 
strict endeavour is made to mix up with these st udies as 



336 



THE THISTLE AND 



much pleasure and amusement as is admissible with 
the drier pursuits of knowledge. These and a hundred 
other methods are adopted by the Roman Catholic 
priests to gain over the esteem and regard of the pupils • 
and as a natural result, the child, perhaps innately of 
an affectionate disposition, feels an impulse to be grate- 
ful — gratitude warms into friendship — friendship ripens 
into attachment ; and then the battle is lost and won ; 
the child is only nominally a Greek — in principle and 
at heart a Romanist. The parents and friends may be 
long in discovering the painful truths of the case (if 
ever they arrive at the knowledge), for in exact pro- 
portion as the child becomes imbued with his teacher's 
notions, so does he imbibe that unchristian spirit of 
concealment and deception which it is the great aim of 
his preceptors that he should be possessed of ; and 
having reached this point, as he grows in years so he 
grows deeper in cunning and becomes a powerful instru- 
ment in the hands of his instructors, " a wolf in sheep's 
clothing/' turned loose among the flock of his un- 
suspecting brethren, and whilst a strict adherer to the 
outward observances of the Greek Church, is a very 
Jesuit at heart, working out with secret, but almost 
certain success, the utter slavery of all those that fall 
into his meshes. This is a present existing evil in 
Syria — a growing danger — a picture of truth not at all 
overdrawn. This is the "wild beast" of the present 
day in Lebanon which is " passing by and treading down 
the humble and unsupported thistle." 

Hospitality is the prevailing feature of the East ; it 
is a precept and practice handed down from generation 
to generation since the time of the patriarchs. Abra 
ham, when he unconsciously received and waited upon 
the three heavenly messengers, was doing exactly what 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON, 



337 



is practised "by the wild Arabs of the desert to this very 
day. " Baetic baetuc " (my house is your house) is, 
with a very few exceptions, the maxim in the heart of 
every inhabitant of Syria, the more-refined citizens of 
Damascus and Aleppo placing the best rooms in their 
houses at the disposal of the stranger, as well as their 
horses, their servants, the best fruits of their gardens, 
and even themselves. All is cheerfully given up to 
their guests, and that man is a black sheep of the flock 
who is wanting in courtesy to the stranger, be he Chris- 
tian, Moslem, or idolater, rich or poor. 

The poor peasant in his lowly hut in the village, and 
the Arab in his tent, will gladly share his frugal repast 
with the friendless stranger, and allot him a corner of 
his own cushion and portion of his own bed-covering, if 
he have nothing better to offer. In fact, the latter will 
not allow a stranger to pass without entering his tent- 
door and tasting the bread and salt of hospitality. A 
man without hospitality is looked upon as worthless 
and unnatural, but a people without hospitality — the 
idea is too monstrous for an oriental to conceive. 

The Latin convent on Mount Carmel has a wide- 
spread fame in the East. The Haclgi from the far- 
distant shores of India, whom chance or speculation 
has brought from Mecca into Syria, has ofttimes 
been refreshed, and rested under the shadow of these 
its hospitable walls, and he naturally returns to his 
friends and his country full of the good deeds and the 
kindness of the monks of the great daher (convent) of 
Mar Elias. Another perhaps has been sick nigh unto 
death, and in his sickness was nursed, kindly waited 
upon, restored to health, and then sent forth with a 
blessing, by the Hakims of this convent. What follows? 
The virtues and charities of these Catholic brethren 

Q 



338 



THE THISTLE AND 



are ever afterwards the theme of his daily conver- 
sation. Again — a pilgrim, penniless and starving, 
has received food and raiment, with a small snm of 
money to carry him on his way home, from the Car- 
melite friars. This pilgrim, through after-life, cherishes 
a thankful gratitude towards his timely benefactors; 
and this, to a greater or less extent, is the case with all 
the minor convents and monasteries in Syria. 

Now while the Roman Catholics have their convents, 
the Greeks and Armenians their monasteries ; while the 
Druses, Maronites, and Arabs, have a corner in their 
humble dwellings, and a crust and a sup for the penni- 
less pilgrim and the weary wayfarer ; yet alas ! not 
even in Beyrout can the English boast of ever so mean 
an establishment for the exercises of charity — charity, 
that golden rule, laid down by Him whom they profess 
to look to as their only Saviour and Redeemer, as 
the great Pattern and Example of their lives. When 
I reflect upon the enormous sums spent in send- 
ing fleets to fill Syria with bloodshed and misery, 
to the ruin of many of my unfortunate countrymen, 
I must confess my surprise is turned into indig- 
nation. 

Amongst the fraternity constituting the monks of 
the various convents, there is always one or more some- 
what skilled in the art of healing ; and generally 
attached to these establishments, as in the instance of 
the convent on Mount Carmel, is a dispensary well 
stocked with drugs, and with the newest and best 
medicines recognized and used by physicians. In some 
few of the principal towns in Syria there are resident 
European doctors, principally Italians and Frenchmen; 
with a sprinkling of Germans and Poles, and one or two 
Americans. "With the exception of the last-mentioned, 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



339 



they are mostly in the pay of the Turkish government, 
and are either connected with the quarantine establish- 
ments, attached to the troops, or are body physicians to 
the Pacha. Relative to these, however, I may quote 
what Dr. Thompson, who was for some time at Damascus 
on a medical mission, and who was extremely beloved 
and esteemed by the natives there, states, viz., " That 
on one occasion he was requested by the seraskier or 
commander of the forces for Arabia, to perform an 
important operation on a soldier, as the ordinary medi- 
cal staff were not able or willing to do it. In the course 
of the operation, the medical staff one and all failed in 
their aid, and some of them even fainted, and the 
writer had to rely on his own presence of mind, and 
unaided to terminate the operation. Imagine an 
epidemic in a hospital under such surveillance; the 
mortality is frightful even under ordinary circumstances. 
In acute cases, and in serious surgical cases, there is 
little or no chance for a successful result; and the 
soldiers and sailors seldom resort to the doctor if they 
can avoid it. The European renegades in the service 
are very little better, with a few exceptions. The 
monks that practise medicine as a profession have a 
very fair knowledge of simples, and compound their 
own medicines, and employ a good many recent chemi- 
cals and modern ingredients in the European Materia 
Medica ; but their knowledge of acute disease is neces- 
rarily limited." 

The natives, in the hour of sickness, have first of all 
recourse to simple herbal remedies, which have been 
handed down through many generations, and are chiefly 
held in estimation by the old people of the villages. 
When these remedies are found to faiJ, then, and often- 
times only at the eleventh hour, they bethink them of 



310 



THE THISTLE AND 



the Franks inhabiting some convent in the neighbour- 
hood ; and as all Franks are supposed to be physicians 
by birth, recourse is had to their healing art in pre- 
ference to Italian or other quack medical professors, 
who are harsh in their treatment of the sick, uncon- 
scionable as to charges, and in any real case of difficulty 
seldom, if ever, successful. The monks are always ready 
and willing to avail themselves of any such opportunity 
of displaying their skill and charity, and it requires no 
second invitation before one or more of them are at the 
threshold of the sick man's house, and a few minutes 
finds them busily occupied about the cure, if it be 
practicable. In many instances, the patient is only 
suffering from severe constipation, or it may be a severe 
attack of ague ; and in these cases a quick and almost 
miraculous cure is soon effected. That it should be 
considered a miracle or an interposition of Divine 
Providence, brought about by the prayers and bene- 
dictions of the holy friars, is the main object they have 
in view, hence no opportunity is lost on the first arrival 
of the priestly doctors to impress upon the minds of the 
relatives and friends in secret the almost certainty of 
the patient's demise unless a special interposition be 
made by them on his behalf. If this does not ulti- 
mately lead to the conversion of the household, it 
shakes them in their own creed, engenders confidence 
towards their benefactors, and leaves a grateful im- 
pression behind for many gratuitous charities rendered. 
The least return they can then make, is to comply with 
the oft-urged request of the monks to send their chil- 
dren to be educated at the convent school. 

Luckily for the credit of Great Britain she sends few 
charlatans from her colleges, and an English or American 
quack is a thing heretofore unheard of m Syria, whereas 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



341 



charlatans of all other nations have been superabundant. 
An English doctor possesses an unsullied reputation in 
Syria. He is looked upon in the same light as an 
English gun, or an English watch — a thing that can 
only be manufactured or brought to perfection in 
England. Hence, if the report be spread that an 
English Hakim, or even an Englishman of any denomi- 
nation, be travelling in the neighbourhood, the halt, 
and lame, and blind, and otherwise ailing of all the 
surrounding villages will congregate near to where his 
tent may be pitched, and pester him incessantly for 
remedies, if it be only a little white sugar weighed out 
by his skilful hands, to be used in cases of ophthalmia. 
Every sect, and even Mahommedan ladies, came and 
consulted Dr. Thompson, and received him at their 
own houses unveiled. The judicious physician is treated 
in the light of a gifted individual ; he is looked upon as 
having the power of life and death in his hands : in 
the sick-room he is courted and treated with the greatest 
deference and respect ; and even whilst passing in the 
streets, the occupants rise to salute him. It is not 
uncommon for him to find himself impeded in his 
progress by the prostration of the female members of 
the family to kiss his garments, even his shoes. This 
has occurred repeatedly, to my knowledge, in Damascus ; 
and the doctor was also appealed to in private matters 
as an umpire, and for his advice in domestic and 
personal affairs. 

I may also here relate an incident in my own life, in 
support of the influence which a Hakim can obtain 
over the prejudices of Eastern people. During my last 
visit to Constantinople, whilst visiting at the house of 
a Pacha, His Excellency, in the course of conversa- 
tion, hinted to me, that the rumour of my medical 



342 



THE THISTLE AND 



studies in Europe had reached him; and after a little 
introductory preamble, he begged of me to see his wife, 
who had been confined to her bed for some days. I 
can hardly describe my astonishment at such a request 
coming from such a quarter ; however, I expressed my 
readiness to do all in my humble power to alleviate the 
sufferings of the invalid. I was accordingly conducted 
by a eunuch through a perfect maze of dark and 
mysterious passages (coughing all the way, as is the 
fashion, to give notice of the approach of a male for 
the females to veil themselves) to the bed-chamber of 
the sick lady, whom I found reclining upon a mattress, 
laid upon a carpet on the floor. It being announced 
to her, that the Hakim Bashi was at hand, an atten- 
dant, old Dudu, came forward, and our interview 
commenced. 

After a short conversation, in which she made many 
anxious inquiries relative to the Frank cormtry and 
the English ladies, about whom I found she had very 
absurd notions, we came to the real object of my visit. 
I asked where the pain lay, and it will cause my readers 
to smile when I state her reply. She told me that 1 
must cast her nativity according to Eastern customs, 
and thus discover the seat of pain myself. I told her 
that the system of medicine which I had learnt in 
England did not admit of such practices, and went on 
to shew her the utter fallacy of such doings. She 
answered me, that her own doctor in Circassia formally 
adopted this plan, and that, after ascertaining the star 
under which she was born, appropriate verses from the 
Koran were written upon three slips of paper : one was 
put in water, which she afterwards drunk; one was 
burnt with perfumes to drive evil spirits from the 
room ; and the third was placed upon the affected part. 
After some little difficulty I discovered the seat of her 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



343 



malady, and that she was suffering under a tumour. 
I then felt her pulse, and requested her to shew me her 
tongue. Here another difficulty arose, as she could 
not shew me her tongue without unveiling ; but the 
old lady who stood by told her that the Prophet allowed 
it before the Hakim and Priest, at the same time 
quoting verses from the Koran in assertion of what she 
stated. This had the desired effect; and on her 
removing her veil, I was perfectly dazzled with the 
intense sweetness and beauty of her face. She was a 
Circassian, ofe of the fairest of her race, and had just 
arrived at Constantinople. After some trouble she 
permitted me to inspect the part affected ; on behold- 
ing it, some lectures delivered by my revered Mentor, 
Mr. Phillips, and also by Mr. Fergusson, immediately re- 
curred to my mind. In the lectures they said, that 
incision with the knife was the only remedy in such 
cases. After two days I ventured to break this to my 
trembling patient, much to her terror; but on my 
assuring her that I would remove it without her being 
sensible to pain, she at last consented, and I success- 
fully performed the operation, putting her under the 
effects of chloroform, which appeared to the bystanders 
pure magic. They had heard tell of such things from 
the Arabian Nights, but could hardly believe their 
senses when actually beheld by themselves in the pre- 
sent day. 

I have already endeavoured to shew in how many 
various ways the Latins possess superior opportunities, 
and are in a superior position to the Greeks, in having 
greater facilities daily afforded them as far as regards 
the work of conversion ; but there is yet another great 
source of privilege to them, and one which holds out- 
many tempting inducements to the heavily-taxed pea- 
santry to embrace at once, and without any further 



314 



THE THISTLE AND 



hesitation, the Roman Catholic faith. This decoy is 
the privilege exercised by the consular authorities, and 
even by the very priests themselves, of protecting from 
outrage or insult every one who has embraced their 
religion, and who gives evidence of the sincerity of their 
intentions by regular attendance at mass, and by the 
rigid observance of high-days and holy-days, feasts and 
fasts. They also give them employment, and they 
become, de facto , protected by the French government, 
their taxes are light in comparison with those levied on 
their fellow-countrymen, and they are entirely exempted 
from that grinding system so commonly practised and 
played off upon * the peasantry by the soldiery and 
underlings of government — a class of individuals that 
are a perfect bane to the Ottoman empire. 

Before concluding these remarks, I must point out 
another glaring instance in which the Latins have 
gained a decided ascendancy over the Greeks in the 
East. I allude to the establishment by the Sisters of 
Charity of a hospital at Beyrout, in which the first 
medical advice there procurable has been secured. 
Here the poor fever-stricken natives have every atten- 
tion paid to their wants in the hour of sorrow and 
sickness; while, side by side, on neat iron-bedsteads 
covered with snowy linen, we stumble across the last 
sad remains of the French Roman Catholic sailor, and, 
in the next bed to his, the Protestant British tar. 
Both have been equally cared for, as far as bodily 
concerns go, but there has been a fearful distinction 
between the spiritual consolation of the two. The 
Frenchman has received daily — hourly visits from the 
nuns, who have spoken to him smilingly of heaven, and 
lighted death's dark pathway with the rays of cheer- 
fulness. The Englishman, on the contrary, has felt him- 
self friendless and solitary — no gentle lips have stooped 



THE CEDAE 0T LEBANON. 345 

down to whisper comfort and holy coimseliings to the 
quickly departing soul. The reason is. that there is 
not at present an English clergyman or an English 
doctor in Beyrout. 

The Sisters of Charity, and their other kindred 
agencies in the East, are beneficial in then way. 
Dming seasons of sickness they are all in foil requi- 
sition, and deserve then meed of praise. As to 
these religions ladies, whatever may be their prose- 
lytising propensities — we know, that where they chiefly 
confine themselves to then meek and humble callings 
then indefatigable zeal and never-ceasing exertions at all 
seasons and at all hours, are greatly to be commended. 
The patients visited at then own houses retain a grate- 
ful sense of the patient attention shewn them in the 
hours of need and in seasons of epidemic, when in the 
East friends desert each other. The institutions under 
their control are remarkably well kept, and far more 
neatly and economically conducted than any hospitals 
or schools in England. The manner in which their 
internal economy and household arrangements are 
conducted and efficiently superintended is highly cre- 
ditable to them. 



Q 5 



346 



THE THISTLE AND 



CHAPTER XXI. 

THE REMEDY. 

From the earliest days of Christianity, the blessed truths 
of the Gospel were almost invariably accompanied by 
acts of mercy and love. At first these truths were 
impressed upon the memories of reckless and darkly 
ignorant multitudes by signs and wonders, well suited 
to the times and people; and miracles, resulting in 
immediate temporary benefit to the afflicted, were apt, 
though but faint, illustrations of the incalculable boon 
about to be conferred on the immortal souls of the 
believers and followers of our blessed Redeemer — the 
blind received their sight — the lame recovered the use 
of their limbs — the sick were healed — and even the 
dead were brought to life again. The early apostles 
were physicians both to the soul and body ; and those 
that had faith but as a grain of mustard-seed went 
about doing good to the sick and the dying. These 
miracles were palpable and beyond the power of refuta- 
tion ; and as long as the necessity for something beyond 
the comprehension of man existed, such things were 
requisite to draw and fix the attention of ignorant and 
superstitious idolators ; but as soon as the true faith had 
taken root, and the young sapling no longer required out- 
ward and visible props to secure it from those tempestuous 
hurricanes of persecution which, through so long a pe- 
riod, raged with hardly any intermission, then palpable 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



347 



miracles ceased to be exercised on earth — the visible 
sign was removed — the word of command or the touch 
no longer possessed the healing virtue — but miracles of 
grace and mercy still continued to be performed, and 
they continue to this day the same, as palpably visible 
to the spiritually-minded man (who can distinguish the 
hand of God in every temporal blessing enjoyed by 
the true followers of Christ) , as was the resurrection 
of Lazarus to those unbelieving Jews who were eye- 
witnesses to that marvellous demonstration of infinite 
power tempered with infinite mercy. In lieu of this 
power of performing miracles, or of witnessing them, 
men were endowed with a spirit of wisdom, which 
gradually developed itself in successive generations, and 
the sick and the dying — the maimed, the halt, and 
the blind, who had now no further hope of instanta- 
neous or certain relief through miraculous gifts, 
resorted to the skill of physicians, men of more 
enlightened education than themselves, but in other 
respects their equals, co-partners of the joys and sor- 
rows inherited in this world, and destined like them- 
selves to terminate their earthly career in the grave. 
And these physicians, or at least some amongst them, 
laboured for the benefit of humanity. 

At first, we may readily conceive that their resources 
were limited, and their primitive knowledge of medicines 
extremely scant, but the healing art never retrograded a 
single step. Of this we have abundant proof in the 
history of nations, as regards the advancement of this 
peculiar branch of science, though it is most true, that 
in countries such as, for instance, Arabia, which, in times 
past, was pre-eminent for its knowledge of medicinal 
drugs, and which may be said to have been the nursery 
of chemistry; this art has almost entirely disappeared, 



318 



THE THISTLE AND 



whilst in the present day the medical profession may 
in Europe be said to have arrived nearly at its zenith ; 
other sciences may have kept pace with it in their 
marvellous and beneficial discoveries, but none can so 
much claim the thankful gratitude of mankind in 
general. Health is . universally acknowledged to be 
the most precious of all temporal blessings, and, 
consequently, the pillars that maintain and prop up 
health have a prior claim to all others; and that 
man must be blind indeed, both spiritually and 
bodily, who does not see and acknowledge in this 
boon to suffering humanity the invisible hand of the 
Almighty Benefactor, as clearly intelligent to the man 
of God now, as were then the words. "Arise, take 
up thy bed and walk," to the hopeless palsied patient. 
In short, every cure and every relief afforded to the 
sick and dying, are so mnny miracles of mercy. A 
man meets with an accident — he is mortally wounded 
in battle — crushed by a railway accident — burnt in a 
fire — all but drowned in water — sick of a fatal malady 
lingering with vain hopes and vainer love of life — the 
marked victim of consumption — these all have their 
immediate and most excruciating tortures benumbed 
or alleviated by the skill of the physician ; or, if there 
is hope of life, the whispering of that hope falls from 
their lips like precious balm of Gilead imbuing them 
with courage and patience to undw'go suffering, for great 
beyond measure is the tenacious fes to life. If, on the 
other hand, the skilful practitioner believes his patient 
doomed, and pronounces the last verdict, still he can 
proclaim to him the sweet hope of mercy — mercy 
eternal and boundless — for the penitent sinner, and 
help him to collect his scattered thoughts from wander- 
ing to that world which he must now speedily leave ; 
he may whisper to him that there is still time for hope, 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



349 



and to hope for mercy, and he may assist him to spend 
these last precious moments in penitence and prayer. 

What has long ceased to be a marvel amongst nations 
advanced in civilisation is still regarded in the light of 
a miracle by the untutored portion of the world. Those 
who have penetrated into the remotest, and least-known 
regions, have adduced evidence in support of this, and 
it is natural that a savage should regard with super- 
stitious awe and reverence a man endowed by education 
with even such every-day attainments as would barely 
pass muster in England, France, or America, and it is 
as natural that this awe and reverence should gradually 
give place to affection and gratitude when, by the inter- 
position of medical skill, the sick and suffering man 
experiences a speedy transition from suffering to the 
rapturous bliss of a state of convalescence, — and this 
transition brought about, too, by what, to him in his 
ignorance, appears a magical influence. His faith in 
that man's powers is so great, that, if he only drop a word 
in proper season, the untutored mind of the compara- 
tive savage has sufficient natural energy to grow inqui- 
sitive about what so materially regards himself, and he 
soon feels persuaded that one from whom he has already 
received such convincing proofs of disinterested kindness 
can never be capable of doing him an injury; and this 
leads him to reflect ; and reflection is the first grand 
foundation-stone, which, when once firmly set, can 
readily be built upon, and become, with God's blessing, 
a house upon a rock. Throughout all ages since the 
foundation of the Christian faith, those missionaries 
who have penetrated into barbarous countries, have 
invariably found the great utility of being acquainted, 
however slightly, with a knowledge of medicines and 
their proper application. The very word hakim is a 



350 



THE THISTLE AND 



passport to the Oriental heart and good-will. How else 
could Europeans, in the garb of monks, and furnished 
only with staff and wallet, have traversed those vast and 
unknown regions of China, Tartary, Thibet, etc., and 
have escaped scatheless to make known to the world 
their travels and adventures in lands and amongst people 
whose very name was a mystery to civilised Europe ? 
That physicians are honoured by these people, and even 
in some instances gratefully remembered, is certain. 
This truth is placed beyond a doubt by the fact of a 
Chinese poet having celebrated the name, fame, and 
good deeds of a skilful European oculist in a lengthy 
poem, part of which was translated into English and 
published some few years since in London, taken, I 
believe, from the notes of the late Rev. Mr. Abeel, a 
distinguished American settled at Singapore. And it 
is owing to the fact of monks, professionally physicians, 
having been with impunity permitted to travel through 
unknown lands that Europeans are indebted to the 
introduction of the silkworm from China into their 
own country, an indefatigable monk having ingeniously 
contrived to convey the eggs, carefully packed in the 
hollow off his staff over thousands of miles, and through 
apparently insuperable dangers and difficulties from 
China to Turkey. 

I have now, I hope, succeeded in proving to the 
reader the necessity that exists of incorporating the 
medical with the clerical profession in the persons of 
those good Christians, valiant soldiers of Christ, who 
are cheerfully willing to devote their lives and talents 
to the furtherance of the Gospel as missionaries in 
foreign parts ; and I shall now endeavour to explain my 
views, hopes, and wishes, as connected more immedi- 
ately with the spread of the Truth in Syria and 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



351 



throughout the East. Many thousands of pounds have 
been already lavished upon futile attempts to convert 
the heathen, and many excellent Christians are now to 
be found in England ready with open hand to further 
a good cause ; but as I never intend to participate in 
any worldly gain to be drawa directly or indirectly from 
what I am about to recommend to then serious attention 
and consideration, they must at least acquit me of any 
selfish motives, for my career in life is not in my own 
power, and though I have learnt to prize England and 
the many treasured friends and privileges I here possess 
most highly. yet, I cannot forget my mother country 
altogether, and trust and hope I may be able, at inter- 
vals, to revisit its sunny shore for a while, and during 
my absence from it my every thought shall be how best 
to promote the spiritual welfare of my beloved brethren 
there. 

The plan I propose as best calculated to insure, 
within a few year's, the happiest results to Syria, is as 
follows, viz : — 

Firstly. — That a society be formed in England, com- 
posed of benevolent ladies and gentlemen, who shall 
have for then aim the establishment of a charitable 
hospital and schools at Beyrout, and that, for the fur- 
therance of this object, subscription-lists be opened at 
some of the principal banking establishments all over 
Great Britain. 

Secondly. — That the donations thus collected shall 
be paid into the Bank of England. 

Thirdly. — That when the sum subscribed shall have 
amounted to about two thousand pounds, a pious, ex- 
perienced, middle-aged medical man, a physician, be 
sent to Beyrout, accompanied by a chemist ; there in 
co-operation with some intelligent native (such as 



352 



THE THISTLE AND 



Asaad Kayat, the present English consul at Jaffa, who 
has so materially benefited his country), to purchase a 
promising piece of land in a healthy and elevated 
position an hour's ride from the town of Beyrout. 

Fourthly. — To build there a hospital, and in the 
town a dispensary for out-door patients. The cost of 
this ground and buildings would not exceed one thou- 
sand pounds. Separate private rooms, attached to the 
hospital, would be very desirable for travellers, who 
needing medical aid or nursing, and being able to pay 
for the same, would prefer being thus lodged to going 
to an hotel. The physician attached to the institution 
might, when called in to attend opulent European or 
native families, might be permitted to charge a small fee, 
which could be regulated by the committee, and 
which fee, or half of it, might go towards the hospital 
expenses. 

Fifthly. — If funds continued to permit, to build, in 
connection with this hospital (but in the town), school- 
rooms for boys and girls, where they might be tho- 
roughly taught their own language, and in it go through 
a. course of Christian instruction, learn needlework and 
household duties. 

Sixthly. — I propose that the requisite medicines, sur- 
gical instruments, furniture, bedding, and materials for 
school use, be supplied by voluntary contributions, such 
Christian or charitable tradespeople as feel disposed to 
support such institutions contributing their mites thereto 
in lieu of paying money. 

Seventhly. — It would be very desirable, when the 
hospital was constructed, if the physician there would 
take in as many Syrian pupils to educate as the funds 
permitted; to be sent, when deemed by him fit, to 
England to improve themselves at the hospitals here, 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



353 



and to increase their Christian knowledge ; afterwards 
to be employed in the hospitals or dispensaries, which, 
it is to be hoped, will soon, from so excellent a com- 
mencement, increase all over Syria; for it would be 
desirable that eventually all posts connected with these 
institutions should be occupied by intelligent natives, 
who could afford to be employed at much lower rates 
of salary, and who would exercise a greater influence 
over their fellow-townsmen if only from their superior 
knowledge of their mother tongue. 

I have now endeavoured to shew that, with an outlay 
of two thousand pounds, very commodious institutions 
might be established and a large piece of ground be 
purchased at Beyrout, if a Society were formed for the 
Establishment of charitable institutions in Syria. Mean- 
while, I have reckoned upon the charitable disposition 
of the class of annual subscribers, and in tins Christian 
land, where money is so cheerfully granted for the 
promotion of good and alleviation of suffering, I may 
safely reckon on this bounty attaining about five 
hundred pounds per annum, not one fraction of which 
but may, with judicious arrangement, safely triple the 
amount in the course of a very few years. 

I have as yet made no allusion as to the uses to 
which the land purchased in Beyrout might be applied 
besides the erection of a hospital upon it. This surplus 
land could, at a very trifling original outlay, be planted 
out with mulberry-shoots; and these mulberries, if 
properly managed, would, in the course of three years, 
be fit to rear the silk- worm. After the final erection 
of the proposed establishment at Beyrout, and when it 
had been working a year, I should recommend that the 
society, in lieu of permitting the surplus funds on hand 
to remain idle, should vote the same to the purchase 



354 



THE THISTLE AND 



of some tract of land in the immediate neighbour- 
hood of Damascus or Beyrouth and to have planta- 
tions in the fertile district of Antioch, where land and 
labour are excessively cheap. Thus, from an outlay of 
one thousand pounds in landed property would, if all 
planted with mulberries, yield, in the course of a few 
years, an annual revenue (if the silk were sold in the 
Syrian market), of about two hundred pounds per 
annum ; if reeled for European purposes, nearly double 
that amount. And this revenue would go on steadily 
increasing as the trees became older and yielded more 
leaves for the nurture of a greater number of worms, 
and as, with the profits of the silk, additional grounds 
might be purchased and cultivated, I could safely 
guarantee that, were the society's efforts judiciously 
supported by efficient agents, in from fifteen to twenty 
years this and similar institutions would not only be 
enabled entirely to support themselves from the revenue 
of their estates, independent of any succour from the 
society, but they would even have surplus funds for the 
establishment of like minor institutions in the interior. 

At the first outset the cultivation of the lands ac- 
quired in Bey rout might devolve upon the parents or 
destitute relatives of such of the poorer boys as were 
receiving a gratuitous education at the schools attached 
to the institutions, and the poorer class of girls edu- 
cated at the schools, if permitted, might, during one 
month in the year, be occupied in reeling off the silk 
produced by the cocoons on the Institution's estates. 

It is my idea, that the system of education should 
consist of two distinct schools or classes for both boys 
and girls ; the upper or high school to be appropriated 
solely for the superior education of the sons and 
daughters of such wealthy and respectable natives as 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



355 



have the means and inclination of advancing their 
children in after life, and on which children languages, 
drawing, music, various species of needlework, and 
other like accomplishments, would not be uselessly 
lavished; while, on the other hand, the lower school 
should strictly confine itself to orphans and children 
of the labouring and poorer classes, who might be 
instructed to read and write their own vernacular with 
ease and facility, at the same time that they were initiated 
into useful trades and professions, and the girls of this 
class taught plain needlework, and no useless accom- 
plishments. As regards the diet and care of this latter 
class, strict attention should be paid to cleanliness, 
regularity, order, truthfulness, and other good habits; 
at the same time that their food and raiment should, 
though sufficient, be neither superabundant, nor consist 
of such articles as might induce them in after-years, 
when left to battle their way through the world, to 
have a hankering after dainties and luxuries wholly 
beyond the compass of their slender means. 

But to ensure success to the proper working of such 
a Christian medical mission as is here contemplated, 
intemperate zeal or harsh bigotry must be carefully 
abstained from. I quite agree with Dr. Thompson, 
who, in a letter addressed to this country from Damas- 
cus, says, " I believe all who know the East, and par- 
ticularly Syria, will freely admit that it is only through 
medical agency that a change in the religious views of 
the people can be effected; but even a medical man 
must work for years among them, and first acquire their 
confidence, and I believe I am not too sanguine that 
then, by cautious and judicious steps, he may and will 
do more than pure missionaries can expect to accom- 
plish for a quarter of a century to come. It is at the 



356 



THE THISTLE AND 



bedside of a sick person, where are always assembled 
all the friends of the patient, that a medical man can 
do the good work, and where he may do so with 
impunity, especially if there be a slight prospect of 
recovery. The most fanatical I have found raised no 
objection under these circumstances, even, strange to 
say, among the Moslems." 

I may now quote the following lines from Mr. Cuthbert 
Young, in his " Notes of a Wayfarer/' He says, — " No 
means are more likely to smooth down prejudices and 
recommend true Christianity than the spirit of benevo- 
ence that emanates from it, and that breathes in this 
institution. Compulsory means for proselytising never 
have been, and never will be, effectual in the case of 
Mahomedans, j but what can withstand self-denying 
kindness ? And what may not happen when we know 
that free access is obtained by Christian physicians, even 
to the harems of Moslems I The same vices that are so 
destructive in China — infanticide and abortion — prevail 
here ; and, I believe, the use of exciting stimulants, 
such as opium, is also general; but the wretched patients, 
when placed under the superintendence of a faithful 
Christian physician, though they may not be prepared 
to embrace Christianity, may yet drink in to some 
extent of the Christian spirit." 

The amount of good, and the favourable impression 
made on the people by medical missionaries, cannot be 
overrated. We need only refer to China. There is no 
more efficient way of rendering a people, or a country, 
lasting advantages, than through the agency of Christian 
and judicious medical men. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



357 



CHAPTER XXII. 

Visits to Lady Rolle and to Bath and Cheltenham. 
Conclusion. 

The patience of my readers is I fear exhausted, for I 
can hardly dare believe that I shall have succeeded 
in completely rousing their feelings in favour of my 
dear Syria, or that I have presented my country and 
its inhabitants to them in an interesting and absorbing 
light ; I crave their kind indulgence for my dulness. 

Engaged in completing my manuscript preparatory 
to publication, I had devoted myself unweariedly to 
the task, and was about to correct the last few pages, 
when I was hindered by an invitation from my kind 
friend, Lady Rolle, to pay her a visit at Bicton in 
Devonshire, and there to recruit my health a little 
after my labour. Having accepted the invitation, I 
purpose to bring the history of my life and adventures 
to a close for the present with a short account of my 
visit to Bicton, also to Bath and Cheltenham, which 
afforded me great pleasure, and which I hope will 
interest my kind readers. 

Lady Rolle had kindly invited me to visit her at 
Bicton, which invitation I was very glad to accept; and 
I left London by an express train in full anticipation of 
much enjoyment. I had often heard the gardens 
at Bicton described as amongst the finest in this 



358 



THE THISTLE AND 



county, but no description can do justice to its attrac- 
tions and its surrounding scenery, which burst forth 
in all the majesty of a warm spring day, agreeably 
contrasting with the dark and murky atmosphere of 
London. 

The rapidity of trayelling by an express train really 
seems magical. If I were to write to my friends in 
the East and tell them I had trayelled about two 
hundred miles within fiye hours, they would at once 
come to the conclusion that my head was turned like 
the unfortunate Druse Sheikh to whom I haye alluded 
before. As soon as I had arrived at Exeter, I found a 
fly waiting for me, when I took my seat by the driver, 
preferring it to the closeness of an inside seat. I 
observed a great number of boys who indulged in 
various remarks concerning my beard, dress, etc., 
and frequently called after me, " Kossoo ! Kossoo I" the 
meaning of which puzzled me not a little. I thought 
they meant the discoverer of the plant of that name so 
lately recommended for its medical properties, thinking 
they meant some allusion to my having studied 
medicine. In my perplexity I asked the driver 
for an explanation. "Why, maister, you sees they've 
never afore seed any foreign gentleman like yourself, 
but that ere one they calls Kossoo, so they 'sposes 
you be he." The subsequent conversation between 
the driver and myself turned upon Kossutlr's merits. 
On my asking him if he had ever seen the Hungarian 
governor, " No, maister, I wishes I could send such 
publican foreigners into the sea instead of having 
them in our comitry." I told him that this is not 
the way in which we treat foreigners in our country, 
he replied, " You be come from the Holy Land which 
be'ant our country." 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



359 



After a beautiful drive we arrived at the park-gates, 
where I was welcomed by the presence of a herd of 
beautiful deer, who seemingly were as inquisitive as 
human beings, they would not, however, permit 
me to approach them, but bounded gracefully away, 
thinking no doubt that so strange a looking being as 
myself should be first acknowledged and welcomed by 
their fair owner ere they would deign to become 
familiar with me. On arriving within sight of the 
mansion, I was struck with its fine appearance and 
noble proportions, and scarcely believed that any pri- 
vate individual could be the possessor of such a 
magnificent residence, which resembled more a royal 
palace than a country-seat of an English nobleman. 
I charged the driver with bringing me to a wrong 
place, but he resolutely persisted in affirming that 
this was the seat of Lady Rolle. On my arrival, a 
great many houris simultaneously appeared at the 
window, with what seemed to me to be wands; but soon 
the truth flashed upon me, and I discovered that the 
houris which my imagination had conjured up, were 
no other than Lady Rolle and her fair guests, who 
,were amusing themselves with a game of billiards. 
The noble mistress of the mansion immediately intro- 
duced me to a large assemblage of wit, beauty, and 
fashion. 

It would be difficult to describe the loveliness and 
magnificence both of the grounds and house, as well as 
the softness and grandeur of the charming country by 
which they are surrounded. But to delineate the 
charms and attractions in which nature here delights 
to invest herself at the cheering and smiling season 
of spring, and to describe the stately forms of the 
gigantic oaks, which have so long bid defiance to the 



360 



THE THISTLE AND 



destroying hand of time, would be an undertaking 
which would fully baffle the descriptive powers of the 
best of my country's poets. Never, in short, have I 
seen anything to rival this lovely human paradise, 
though I have had the pleasure of travelling through 
many English counties. I must leave my kind and 
indulgent reader to draw largely on his imaginative 
powers, and in thought translate himself to some fairy 
land, where nature's beauties revel and disport in all 
their glory, and exhibit to the view of the entranced 
beholders all that is grand, beautiful, and ennobling. 
At Bicton time sped rapidly on, as time always will 
speed when spent in such charming and agreeable 
society. Our usual daily routine was prayers at half- 
past eight a.m., at which all the guests and servants 
attended, and her ladyship read the prayers herself. 
What an example thought I to thousands of the 
aristocracy of Europe ! After prayers we repaired to 
the breakfast parlour where a sumptuous repast was 
always provided. After breakfast, the company separated 
into different parties — some for a drive, some for a 
walk, whilst others went shooting or fishing. At one 
all usually re-assembled and partook of an excellent 
lunch, afterwards there were billiards, bagatelle, and 
books ; in short, each did as he thought fit. We 
dined, and after that there was abundance of amuse- 
ment; in the evening the ladies delighted us by 
playing and singing. 

Towards the close of my visit, I may inform the 
reader that my own stock of amusements were varied 
(I am happy to say that it was towards the end of my 
stay), by the discovery that two of her ladyship's 
guests, Mr.P— and Mr. W— , were skilful with their 
pencils, and insisted upon handing me down to posterity 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



361 



in their sketch-books, so that I was suddenly assailed 
right and left (I think it must have been a concerted 
plan between them for their mutual convenience), 
which kept me pretty quiet in attendance to be 

sure — to their ease and my dis-ease. Mr. W 

not content with conferring on me the above advantage, 
insists on the further distinction of hanging me up 
at the exhibition — a sentence which I really believe 
he will carry into execution. 

The time thus passed pleasantly away, and the 
recollection of these delightful hours will always be 
vividly engraven on my mind. Amongst the performers 
on the piano was one who, par excellence, was divine : 

this was a Miss W . We often had a round game 

invented by Mr. P . Something similar to " My 

Lady's Toilet," only more refined. 

Lady Rolle kindly introduced me, during my residence 

at her abode, to a Mrs. P of Exeter, with whom I 

had a long conversation respecting the Greek church 
and the state of female education in Syria. I have 
heard that her daughters often visit the poor cottagers 
with a view to improve and ameliorate their condition, 
a custom I am happy to find becoming very prevalent 
among the upper classes in England during the last 
few years. I wish some philanthropic young ladies 
would follow their good example and make a step 
still further by setting out on a crusade against the 
ignorance of their sex in Syria. 

On the grounds attached to the mansion my hostess 
has built a very beautiful tower filled with valuable 
and rare samples of china, it resembles an Indian 
pagoda. This amiable lady has also built a very fine 
church in memory of her husband, and also a mauso- 
leum. But what surprised me still more was to find 

R 



362 



THE THISTLE AND 



a cottage on her grounds which was paved entirely 
with sheep's knucklebones — a novel spectacle to me, and 
very ingenious and curious. 

Whilst at Bicton I heard a very amusing anecdote 
about an Eastern princess, who it appears had come 
there on a visit from London, and was much noticed 
by the nobility. This lady was very fond of vegetables 
and fruit, and in order the more freely to gratify her 
appetite, she used to rise early and go into the garden, 
and amongst other delicacies, she never spared the 
young onions, of which she was exceedingly fond. 
The gardener could not account for the depredations 
committed on his potager till accident led him to 
discover the mystery. One day he locked the gate 
before the princess returned from her morning walk, 
and consequently she remained there some considerable 
time, and had to breakfast and dine off her favourite 
vegetables. At length, after a long search, the gardener 
heard her crying out, and accordingly released her. 

One day during this agreeable visit was devoted to a 
drive to Exeter to see the cathedral, gaol, and hospital, 
with which I was much interested. I must here bestow 
a passing note of admiration on her ladyship's " turn- 
out/' which conveyed us to the town ; suffice it to say 
that it was appointed in the best English style, and 
with four fine horses of imposing stature, with their 
gay silver trappings and postillions, made an excellent 
coup d'ceil. With the architecture of the cathedral I was 
particularly struck, resembling that of an old church 
in Syria. I much admired the small paintings in 
fresco underneath the organ, which I was told had only 
recently been discovered, and these were very similar 
to those in our churches throughout my country, and 
which may be seen at the present day. After having 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



363 



inspected the cathedral, I visited the gaol, which pleased 
me from being kept so scrupulously clean; and I highly 
approved of the regulations and rules which were 
laid down and enforced. But one circumstance in 
particular pained me very much, that was to find a 
child only eight years of age imprisoned for arson. 
I was told that he was much happier in gaol than at 
home. Before leaving I visited the female department, 
which was equally clean and well arranged, and all the 
women were usefully occupied. Upon enquiring of 
the governor of the gaol whether the female prisoners 
gave him much trouble, his answer was, " I would 
rather have to do with a dozen men than one woman." 
This speech rather startled me, and as it was time to 
return to Bicton I left Exeter, having been highly 
gratified and pleased with my visit. During my stay 
in the neighbourhood, as we proceeded through the 
village, many and very amusing conjectures were made 
concerning my country and station. By some I was 
considered no less a personage than a Persian prince ; 
others deemed me a Turkish Pacha, whilst many even 
exalted me so high as to be somewhat of more im- 
portance — an Indian Rajah. Soon after I bade adieu 
to Bicton, but not without deep regret and sorrow 
at leaving our amiable and hospitable friend and her 
assembled guests. 

From Bicton I proceeded to Bath. It was about 
mid-day when I started ; the weather was lovely, and 
forcibly brought to my mind the contrast between the 
murky and ungenial atmosphere which pervaded London 
when I left it, and the bright clear air of this favoured 
portion of England. Could my readers, who spend so 
much of their time in the metropolis, have felt as I did 
on this morning, when the sweet breeze, wafting the 



364 



THE THISTLE AND 



odours of the fresh-turned earth, seemed to breathe 
health upon the cheek, and purity and peace into the 
heart, they could never again declare that the country 
possessed no charms. Contemplate but the rising of day's 
bright luminary, which in the west of England is 
especially glorious, making its appearance as it does 
from behind lofty and undulating lines of hills, over- 
looking the loveliest of valleys, which must in spring 
present more the appearance of a Syrian glen than 
anything I have hitherto seen. The verdant moss, 
the delicate white violet, and the modest primrose, 
which hid then loveliness beneath a variety of trees, 
and amongst them the first that puts forth its blos- 
soms is the sallow, whose yellow downy buds emit 
a honeyed odour, all combine to constitute this beau- 
tiful part of England a very Garden of Eden in which 
an humble mind might dwell for ever. 

The impression produced on my mind by these scenes, 
was very similar to that which so painfully affects the 
Swiss when in a foreign country he is reminded of his 
wild and mountainous home. I felt all the sensations 
of the indescribable " mal de pays." 

But I must proceed on my journey. I entered the 
railway carriage, and quick as lightning sped from all 
those who had shewn me so much kindness and atten- 
tion, and to whom I shall often travel back in thought 
to dwell with grateful satisfaction and delight on this 
happy period of my life. Should any of my readers, 
who have not yet visited Bath, have occasion hereafter 
to do so, they will not fail, as I was, to be struck with 
the picturesque appearance which meets the eye just 
before arriving at this beautiful city; the numerous 
pretty meadows — the spires of churches rising here and 
there to remind the beholder that he is in a Christian 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



363 



country — richly cultivated pleasure grounds surrounding 
neat villas — the village inn and its busy scene — carriages, 
omnibuses, and vehicles of every description travelling 
in all directions, giving to this fair city of the west, a 
miniature resemblance to the mighty metropolis in a far 
more agreeable sense. 

But now the engine begins to slacken its pace; the 
shrill whistle sounds, and the heavy train, though 
seeming to grow tired yet reluctant to rest, arrives at 
the terminus All now is hurry and bustle, friends, 
parents, assistants, are on the platform eager to welcome 
or render their aid, as the case may be, yet provokingly 
kept back by the railings which are pertinaciously kept 
for a while closed. At last all are free, and Bath, that 
elegant city, with its beautiful surrounding hills, and 
dazzling white houses, and decorated architectural 
public buildings, now bursts upon the view j the smoke 
curling upwards towards the clear atmosphere, dispersing 
ere it reaches the azure sky. The mildness of the 
climate surprised me, and particularly the warm mineral 
springs. There is an idea prevalent in Syria that 
England being an island, there are no springs, that all 
the streams are brackish, and that the inhabitants are 
supplied with drinking water from the clouds. On my 
first arrival in this country, seeing wine so plentiful and 
water so scarce at meals, I was inclined to believe that 
the supposition was a true one. 

Arriving at Bath, I immediately proceeded to the 
house of my valued and excellent friend, Sir Claude 
Wade, whose services in India will deservedly hand his 
name down to future generations as a distinguished 
character in the annals of European history. The fol- 
lowing day after my arrival was devoted to making a 
tour of the city, in the course of which I saw the Royal 



366 



THE THISTLE AND 



Crescent, one of the finest piles of architecture I ever be- 
held, commanding quite a panoramic view of the sur- 
rounding country ; I also walked though the Victoria Park> 
and examined the column erected in commemoration of 
the Queen's visit to Bath in 1839. The inhabitants express 
their regret that their sovereign has not since favoured 
their fine city with her beloved presence. The rides 
and promenades in and about the city are very pleasant 
and delightful, reminding one so much of the agrement 
of a foreign town, that I am surprised it should not be 
more generally visited by the English fashionables 
ins ead of going abroad to spend their money. 

I found that the society here is on a very pleasant 
footing, and their genuine hospitality and kindness to 
me I shall remember with gratitude. Here, as well as 
elsewhere, there exists a great diversity of religious 
opinion. At one place I was asked whether I attended 
the High or Low Church, and imagining, at first, that 
they alluded to an upper or a lower part of the building, 
I replied that I preferred the body of the church, as I 
did not like mounting stairs. My answer afforded much 
amusement, but on discovering what was really intended 
by the question, I was too much occupied with thinking 
about the divisions amongst professing Christians to 
heed the smiles which I had caused. 

On Sunday I attended the Octagon Chapel, to hear 
a celebrated young preacher, and was handed by the 
pew-opener into a seat where there was a charming 
lady, who shewed me every attention, and even gave me 
her own book with the different parts of the service 
marked. I was most sensible of her civility, and thanked 
her for her kindness, which she politely but distantly 
acknowledged. The next day, I went with my friends 
to Mrs. F — 's soiree, in the Circus, where, to my sur- 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



367 



prise and pleasure, I again met this houri, when we 
soon got into conversation. She told me how astonished 
she was when she heard a " Turk" read and sing, etc. ; 
she asked me many questions regarding my opinion of 
England and English customs, etc., and particularly 
what were my first impressions on hearing the vocal 
music of this country ; I candidly said, that it seemed 
to me like the howlings of my own countrymen over 
the bodies of departed friends ; I added, however, that 
in my case the old proverb u use is second nature," had 
proved true, for now that I had become accustomed to 
it, the vocal as well as instrumental music of this 
country possessed great charms for me. My fair ques- 
tioner was highly amused at my description of " first 
impressions" on this subject, from which we diverged 
into other matters of conversation, and I finally left my 
kind entertainer's house with an impression of her hos- 
pitality, and of the fair community of Bath, more 
agreeable than were my first impressions of English 
music, and certainly not so likely to be changed. I 
desire also publicly to thank the inhabitants of Bath 
generally, as well as the municipal authorities of the 
city for the practical kindness I experienced from them 
during my visit. 

As I am on the subject of Bath, I may as well men- 
tion my last visit to that gay and delightful city, in the 
course of which a grand ball was given by the bachelors 
to their friends; I was kindly invited to it by Mr. 
Nugent, whose zeal and activity in promoting the 
harmless gaieties of the place, are the theme of praise 
with every one, and of whose polite attention to 
strangers I cannot speak too highly. Nothing that 
money and taste could effect was spared to make the 
ball one of the most brilliant and magnificent enter- 



368 



THE THISTLE AND 



tainrnents that I have witnessed in this country. The 
Rooms were celebrated, I hear, in former times as the 
scene where many a fair honri made her debut in the 
fashionable world, and were decorated in a style of ele- 
gance which reflected the greatest credit on the artists. I 
can only say, that whatever may have been their by- 
gone attractions, it is impossible that the display of 
bright eyes and graceful forms could ever have sur- 
passed what I gazed upon that night. To attempt to 
describe this fairy scene would require the pen of a 
poet, that I might give adequate expression to my 
admiration of the beauty by which I was surrounded. 
I will quote, however, a passage from an Eastern 
author, which I think apropos to the occasion : f Their 
beauty is perfection, they are loveliness itself; their 
elegant shapes glance like javelins by moonlight; their 
tresses float down their backs like the tendrils of the 
grape ; they are slayers and piercers with their arrows 
and their darts ; archers and strikers, the enchantresses 
of the minds and hearts of men." 

While at Bath I also had the pleasure of attending 
another splendid ball given at the Guildhall by the 
Lady Mayoress, at which the elite of society here 
were present. The amiable hostess and her lord 
received their guests with great kindness and affability, 
evincing a desire to please, which completely succeeded, 
for every one seemed to enjoy the dancing exceedingly, 
as well as the sumptuous supper. The Lady Mayoress' 
health was proposed in a suitable manner by the Marquis 
of Thomond, which was drank with all the honours in 
sparkling champagne. During the evening, I was 
observing a Masonic symbol suspended over the in- 
signia of the Mayor's office, which led a gentleman, 
who was standing by, to recognise me as a brother 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



369 



mason. He at once introduced me to several of the 
brethren, and a few days afterwards I was invited by 
" the Lodge of Honour/' at Bath, to meet the Mayor 
at dinner, where we had "the feast of reason and the 
flow of soul." 

I shall always retain a lively recollection of the 
pleasure which they afforded me, and the kindness I 
experienced. Whilst walking out one day I encoun- 
tered my friend, Dr. Thompson, whom I had known 
in Syria, and who hailed me in Arabic, in the words 
of an old Eastern proverb, viz., that though mountains 
never meet the sons of Eve will. Dr. Thompson, at my 
request, gave two lectures, one at Cheltenham and one 
at Bath, which I think worthy of being inserted,* and 
I beg now to thank him for the interest he takes in 
the affairs of my country. 

* Euphrates and the East. — On Saturday last, a lecture, 
announced under the above title, was delivered at the Assembly 
Kooms in this city, by Dr. J. B. Thompson, a gentlemen who has 
just returned from a medical mission in Turkey. Capt. Sau- 
marez, K.N., presided, and a very numerous audience of ladies 
and gentlemen attended on the occasion. The lecture was so 
desultory in its course, that it will not admit of analysis ; never- 
theless, it was exceedingly interesting, and formed an important 
addition to our information respecting a country which is the 
cradle of the world. Dr. Thompson, it appears, was sent to 
Asiatic Turkey on a medical mission by an association of 
English gentlemen, amongst whom was the Earl of Ellesmere 
and having opened a free hospital at Damascus, and acquired 
the Arabic language, he enjoyed rare facilities for obtaining a 
knowledge of the manners, feelings, and circumstances of the 
population. There is not only more toleration for Christians in 
Turkey, but less corruption and injustice than under the powers 
which seek to dismember it. He described the Turkish rulers 
as sensible men, ever ready to carry on any improvements 
suggested to them. The missionaries would effect far more 
if, instead of teaching doctrines to adults, they educated the 



370 



THE THISTLE AND 



Visit to Cheltenham. 
From Bath I went to the above place, and during 
my stay I took up my quarters at the Plough Hotel, 
where I was most comfortable, and received every atten- 
tion from the proprietor. 

females prior to their seclusion in the harems. There was no 
impediment to the establishment of female schools ; and, there- 
fore, if these secondary means were adopted, the condition of 
the young might be raised, the prejudices of the parents might 
be abated, and a foundation might be laid for the civilisation 
of the East. The principal feature of the lecture, however, was 
the description of a new route to India. Instead of passengers 
proceeding by Alexandria, Cairo, across the sandy Egyptian 
Desert, and through the Eed Sea, it was suggested that they 
should land at the mouth of the river Orontes, near Antioch, 
in Syria, and pass through a rich and beautiful country to Belis. 
There, embarking on the river Euphrates, they would descend 
through the land of Paradise to Bussora on the Persian Gulf, 
and from thence proceed straight to Bombay or Calcutta. The 
advantages of this new route were healthiness and rapidity. 
The journey to India by Suez occupied twenty-eight days, and 
entailed much suffering in crossing the Desert, and in traversing 
the unhealthy Red Sea. The transit from Antioch to Belis 
would occupy two days by railway through a country so rich 
and fertile that it would become peopled if communication were 
opened up. The entire journey to India would be shortened 
seven days, the route being not only better but shorter by at 
least 300 miles. The saving of time would be still greater if a 
railway were formed along the bank of the Euphrates from Belis 
to Bussora. Dr. Thompson addressed himself to the objections 
which had been made to the route by the Euphrates. It had 
been said, that CoL Chesney's exploring expedition failed ; but 
this was incorrect. Col. Chesney's dimculties arose partly from 
his having fixed upon Barick, higher up than Belis, as his ter- 
minus, and partly from the want of native pilots. The river is 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



371 



I should be unmindful, and thankless indeed were 
I to forget to express my grateful thanks to friends 
generally for the kind reception given me, and for the 

subject to squalls, the signs of which are familiar to those who 
live on its banks ; but Col. Chesney employed none of the 
navigators, and one of his steamers having been upset, the river 
in consequence got a bad name. It had been said, too, that the 
Bedouin Arabs are ill-disposed towards the navigation of the 
Euphrates. This Dr. Thompson denied on his own knowledge, 
having visited all the chiefs along the banks, and he declared, 
contrary to the general opinion, that the Bedouins are a benevo- 
lent, generous, noble-hearted race. It might be true, he observed, 
that during the progress of Col. Chesney's expedition, the Be- 
douins were prejudiced against the navigation of the river ; but 
the fact was, there were powers which thought they had an 
interest in misrepresenting the intentions of the English in the 
East. This feeling had, however, been dissipated by more cor- 
rect knowledge. Dr. Thompson added, that he had submitted 
the plan of the Euphrates route to the Turkish Sultan, who 
immediately perceived its advantages over the old route through 
Egypt, and would strongly support it. One feature of the plan, 
he also stated, would be the establishment of a school for 
children at Antioch, the climate of which is delightful; and 
and while officers in India might come there on furlough, with- 
out losing certain advantages, as they would still be within the 
confines of Asia, their friends in Europe would find it an easy 
and delightful trip to visit them at that place. Dr. Thompson 
pointed out other and more general advantages which would 
arise from the adoption of the new route, as regards trade and 
civilisation. 

On the conclusion of the lecture, Habeeb Risk Allah Effendi, a 
Syrian, who is at present sojourning in this city, presented 
himself to the meeting, and addressed it in a few sentences 
expressive of his desire that the Euphrates route might be 
adopted, as it would be the means of civilising his native 
country. The Syrian women, he said, are entirely uneducated, 
and this is one of the principal causes of the ignorance which 
pervades the great mass of the people. He gracefully thanked 
the audience for their attendance, regarding it as a manifesta- 



372 



THE THISTLE AM D 



interest evinced on behalf of my beloved country, and 
I shall ever retain a lively remembrance of the Rev. 
J. Brown, Incumbent of Trinity Church. Wherever 
he is known, the deepest respect and regard are evinced 
towards him and his family. Oh, would that poor 
Syria were blessed with a few such philanthropic men, 
with hearts and minds so capable of diffusing wisdom 
and knowledge wherever they go. 

I shall never forget the brief address delivered by this 
kind-hearted man, at a lecture given by Dr. Thompson, 
on behalf of female education in the East. In a few 
words he expressed all the wants of my country, which 
went home to my heart. I trust that the interest 
shewn by all on this exciting occasion may be the 
means of benefitting neglected Syria, and of promoting 
the interest of her benighted children, as regards edu- 
cational institutions. I must also here record my 
sincere gratitude to the Rev. C. H. Bromby, M.A., the 
principal of the Normal Training College. How well, 
and how admirably this noble school is managed. How 
suitable it would be to the children of Syria ! 

The few sentences I addressed to the meeting at 
Cheltenham, were expressive of my hope that they 
would enable me to send over for a few young Syrians 
of both sexes to participate in the benefits of their 
college ; and that it was my firm conviction the period 
was not far off when this institution would embrace a 



tion of warm interest felt in the progress of the East. A vote 
of thanks having been given to Dr. Thompson, on the motion of 
Sir Claude "Wade, the audience separated, and, we may fairly add, 
that, though the manner of the lecturer was clearly unpre- 
meditated, his matter gave considerable satisfaction to a large, 
intelligent, and influential audience. — Extract from the Bath 
Chronicle. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



373 



more extensive field of usefulness, and become the 
means of introducing Gospel truth and its accom- 
panying blessings to my much loved Lebanon. Then 
shall the Cedar once again and for ever nourish in its 
native soil, spreading its luxuriant branches to shield 
the Thistle from all rude assaults — which may then 
grope even in its own humble way to thrive, and 
nourish and raise its crowned head.* Visitors to Chel- 
tenham cannot but feel deeply indebted to Lord North - 
wick, for his liberality in admitting them to his 
interesting and unique collection of paintings. I was 
much gratified at the privilege thus afforded me, and it 
is due to his Lordship to say that the arrangement of 
the valuable paintings is exceedingly good. Both myself 

* In the course of my address, I alluded to the case of a 
young Syrian lad, now in Paris, under Roman Catholic tuition^ 
whose friends would like him to be removed from this influence 
and educated in England. I appealed to the ladies present, if 
they would not feel disposed to give back to Syria somewhat of 
their present fulness — some of that light which they had . ob- 
tained through those Scriptures known in my land when heathen 
darkness reigned in this. I suggested, that if each lady present 
in that large assembly would but subscribe one shilling towards 
this Christain attempt, and keep up, for a time, the interest in 
such a subscription, by naming it to all their friends, or them- 
selves making it yearly, I could at once have my protege brought 
over and educated at this Normal College above alluded to as so 
admirably conducted. Many instantly responded to my appeal, 
and volunteered their support, so that I have already taken 
measures towards having this lad brought over, and placed in 
this college, under the patronage of the Kev. J. Brown, to whom 
I am permitted to refer for further information all who may 
feel benevolently disposed to assist in this great national ameli- 
oration of a once glorious land, now, alas ! sunk in darkness and 
ignorance. All inquiries addressed to myself, No. 18, Cambridge 
Square, Hyde Park, will also meet with prompt and grateful 
attention. 



374 



THE THISTLE AND 



and a friend, who acecompanied me, were much surprised 
at our entrance to the extent and magnificence of the 
apartments, especially the modern room called the 
Pantheon ; we much admired the painting of the Earl 
of Surrey, by Titian, and were struck with its Oriental 
caste of features and complexion, which called to 
memory some one with whom we were mutually ac- 
quainted in Syria. Our attention was next directed to 
the portrait of Mahomet II., and if I may judge from 
the engravings of this Sultan, which I have seen in the 
houses of some of the nobility of Turkey (before the 
strict prohibition of the Koran on this head), this picture 
is an admirable likeness of him. We are told that 
it was expressly painted by the artist in deference to 
the wishes of the Venetians, who sent Bellini to Con- 
stantinople in the year 1458 for this purpose. 

The Flight into Egypt is another fine specimen of 
painting, and though of modern date delineates Oriental 
travelling; the face of the Virgin is exquisitely beau- 
tiful, and has a heavenly expression; this figure forcibly 
brought before me the Countess of K — , whom I had 
met on the day preceding my visit to this place. I 
would gladly have spent days instead of hours in this 
delightful residence, ornamented with such valuable and 
beautiful specimens of the fine arts; those only who 
come from distant lands, can fully appreciate the luxuries 
of all kinds which meet the eye of the spectator when 
in Western Europe, and especially in Great Britain. 
The magnificence which I encounter on all sides makes 
a sadness steal over me, and I cannot but lament for 
the barrenness of my native land, which once teemed 
with works, both of art and science, " How are the 
mighty fallen V But hope shall shine in the Eastern 
skies, and the bright morning star arise again. 



THE CEDAR OF LEBANON, 



375 



In bringing these pages to a close, permit me to 
express a hope that they may not prove wholly without 
interest to those who may peruse them. My chief in- 
centive for appearing before the public, has been from 
an humble desire to advocate the cause of Syria, and 
the patriotic will doubtless join in my prayer, that my 
efforts may not prove abortive. If, therefore, either 
directly or otherwise, I shall be the means of rousing 
the sympathetic energies of right thinking people, on 
behalf of my native land, I shall feel fully recompensed 
for all the time I have bestowed on this little volume. 
However great have been the exertions which, (as not 
professing authorship), it may have given me, yet the 
recalling past scenes and circumstances for the work has 
left a relish and a fragrance on my mind, and a remem- 
brance which is sweet. May then those seeds of charity 
which have so often sprung up, blossomed, and yielded 
fruit for me, now do so likewise (and more also) for my 
country. I cannot take leave of my readers without 
once more expressing my heartfelt gratitude towards 
the people of this country. From all whom I have 
ever met, I have received that welcome and reception 
for which the English are justly proverbial. Even 
the nobles of these mighty realms have deigned to 
honour me, by evincing an interest in the subject 
next to my heart. May that Omnipotent Power to 
whose authority they also bend, long preserve these 
great and true-hearted men, and may this kingdom 
never cease to be the ark, the earthly resting-place of 
all true believers, where, as from a vast store-house for 
provisions, mental or bodily, all nations under the sun 
seek and find assistance. 



ERRATA. 



Page. Line. 

96 22 for -Dog River, read Ease Beyrout 

— 32 for accompanied by. read accompanying an 

106 16 etc., for General Loustanean, read General Loustannan 

149 26 for General Duncan Maeleod, read the Earl of Shaftesbury 

261 23 for Bakary. read Baaekry 



APPENDIX, 



NOTES ON THE GEOLOGY OF SYKIA, 
(Kindly communicated to me by my friend, Professor Edward Forbes.) 

My Dear Sir, — It is much to be desired that a careful geo- 
logical exploration of your interesting country should be 
undertaken by an able investigator. All that we know of 
the structure of Syria is fragmentary, and in great part 
unsatisfactory. Sufficient, however, is known, to indicate the 
scientific importance of the region, and to hold out a promise 
of a rich harvest for the practical geologist who may undertake 
its description. The collection of fossils which I have myself 
seen, from the district around Lebanon, suggested many en- 
quiries that have not yet been answered, especially respecting the 
relations of the jurassic and cretaceous rocks of that famous 
region. The following scanty notices of what is known about 
Syrian formations and their fossils, may serve to excite curiosity 
and to direct the traveller to fresh observations. 

In the year 1833, a valuable memoir by M. Botta, Jun., was 
published by the Geological Society of France. It is entitled 
"Observations sur le Liban et FAntiliban." He represents 
Mount Lebanon as composed of rocks belonging to the lower 
cretaceous series, resting upon green sands, and these in their 
turn reposing upon jurassic strata. He states, that in the chain 
of the Lebanon there are three distinct formations. The 
uppermost is a limestone, very variable in character, both of 
appearance and hardness, and alternating with calcareous marls. 
The lower division of this formation is distinguished by the 
presence of beds and nodules of flint. Fossil sea-urchins occur 
in its middle, and fishes in its lower part. A second formation 

s 



378 



APPENDIX. 



of variable thickness is sandy, very ferruginous, abounding 
in iron ores and lignites, and passing above into a calcareous 
rock. The lowest formation is constituted of numerous beds 
of cavernous limestone. Besides these older rocks, M. Botta 
remarks upon the presence all along the coast from Beyrout 
to Tripoli, of conglomerates or sandstones, quite unconformable 
to the calcareous rocks of the coast. 

M. Botta takes particular notice of those localities in which 
remarkable fossils occur. The first is at the bottom of the 
basin in which Antoura is built. The stratum is confused marl, 
abounding in specimens of sea-urchins. These species are remark- 
able for their size and shape. He considers this bed as belonging 
to the jurassic series. Corals are also found in it. 

The second locality is near the convent of Bikeurby ; where 
a stratum occurs containing numerous univalve shells of the 
genus Nerincea, which being harder than the rock containing 
them, stand up on its weathered surface. 

The third locality is at Sach el Aalma, where at about 300 feet 
above the level of the sea occurs an impure limestone, often 
soft. In it fossil fishes are found in plenty. They are irregularly 
disposed in the rock. 

The fossil fishes of Mount Lebanon have been the subject 
of frequent investigations, although the true geological position 
of the beds whence they are derived, has not yet been made out 
with certainty. Two memoirs have especially been devoted to 
descriptions of them, the one by M. Heckel (1843), and the other 
by Professor Pictet, of Geneva (1850). Professor Agassiz, 
also has written upon some of the Lebanon fishes, and Sir Philip 
Grey Egerton has described a very remarkable fossil, viz., the 
Cyclobatis Oligodactylus, brought from Syria by Captain Graves, 
R.N., who kindly committed it to my care in 1845. Altogether 
no fewer than thirty-four fossil fishes from Mount Lebanon are 
now known and described. As the works in which the accounts 
are contained are not likely to pass into the hands of travellers, 
it may be useful to give a list of some of the principal of these 
very interesting and beautiful fossils. 

Of the family of perched fishes there occurs a species of 
Beryx, a genus of which certain fossil forms are found in the 
chalk, and a few living species in the Indian seas. The Beryx 
Vexillifer is found in the hard limestones of Hakel. 

Of the family of sparoid fishes, one or two species occur in 



APPENDIX. 



379 



the soft limestones of Sack el Aalma, The Pagellus Libanicus 
is an example. 

Of the family of ChroniicUe, three species of Pycnosterinx. 
occur in the soft limestones of Sach el Aalma. viz.. P. disco ides, 
P. Heckelii, and P. Russegerii, 

Of the Squamipennes, a Plata:? occurs in the hard limestones 
of Hakel. 

Of the Catapkracti, a new genus called Petalopteryx has been 
established by Pictet for a fish from Sach el Aalma. Of the 
Sphyrenoid fishes, a Mesogaster occurs at the same locality. To 
the Halecoid fishes a great number of those of Lebanon belong ; 
among them are the following : — 

Osmeroides Megapterus, Sach el Aalma. 

Eurypholis (new genus of Pictet) svdcidens, from Hakel, 

Eurypholis fioisseri, from the same locality. 

Eurypholis longiden, from Sach el Aalma, 

Spaniodon (new genus of Pictet) Blonddii. from Sach el 
Aalma. 

Spaniodon elongatus, Sach el Aalma. 
Clu-pea lata, Sach el Aalma. 
Clupea macropthalma, Hakel. 
Clupea sardinoides, Hakel. 
Clupea laticavda, Hakel. 
Clupea minima, Sach el Aalma. 

Clupea brevissima, Hakel. This fish originally described by 
M. de Blainville, appears to be very common in its locality. 

Of the Esocidce. there is the fish called Rhinellus furcatus 
which occurs at Sach el Aalma, 

Of the Sclerodermic several species of Dircetis occur at Sach 
el Aalma. A curious and anomalous fish, called Coccockts arm i- 
ius, is found at Hakel. 

Of Cartilaginous fishes, a Spinax is found at Sach ei Aaima. 

The curious Cyclobatis oligodactylies of Egerton belongs to the 
same division. 

In the north of Syria, M. C. Gaillardot has observed several 
distinct stages of rocks belonging to the great Nummulitic forma- 
tion, and therefore, according to the received geological classifi- 
cation, members of the Eocene group of Tertiaries. The newest 
of these beds are stated to consist of compact white or grey 
limestones containing fossil corals, sea-urchins, and oysters. 
Under these is a white chalky limestone, alternating with green 



380 



APPENDIX. 



and grey soft marls and other limestones, almost entirely made 
up, according to Vicomte D'Archiac, of the Nummulina inter- 
media. In the white limestones of Ainzarka are found Nummu- 
lina Raymondi, N. laevigata, and Alveolina subpyrenacia. M. 
Gaillardot would distinguish the entire group of strata consti- 
tuting the highest mountains of Syria by the name of the 
Libanian System. He appears, however, to have confounded 
strata of very different ages, tertiary rocks with cretaceous and 
jurassic. In the true Lebanon region the nummulitic beds seem 
to be altogether wanting. It is possible that they may be 
present in the Antioch district, but this has not been clearly 
made out as yet. M. Russegger has shewn, contrary to the 
views of M. Gaillardot, that the region around Jerusalem is 
mainly of oolitic age, with occasional remains of cretaceous 
strata outlying here and there. 

During the Armenian expedition to the shores of the Dead 
Sea, considerable" collections of Syrian fossils appear to have been 
amassed. These have been described by Mr. Conrad, and are 
figured in the report very recently published by Mr. Lynch. The 
cretaceous beds of Syria are therein referred in part, at least, to 
the age of the white chalk of Europe. The Jurassic fossils are, 
for the most part, in the condition of casts. Species of Nerincea 
were noticed, and among European forms, the Ostrea scapha of 
Roemer, and the Ostrea virgata of Goldfuss. A very remarkable 
fossil is the Ammonites Syriacus, from the Lebanon region ; it 
is a species apparently of the genus Ceratites, a group of cepha- 
lopods usually regarded as characteristic of strata of Triassic 
age, but in this instance possibly represented among cretaceous 
beds. 



WERTHEIMER AND CO., PRNTERS, FINSBURY CTfi&JS. - 



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